The Seventeenth Member

Thoughts on LeBron James

2010-07-08T22:53:00.005-04:00

It’s finally over. The most over-hyped media circus in the history of sports is finally over. And as usual, it didn’t end well for Cleveland.

Being from Ohio and a Cavaliers fan, I definitely bring a biased opinion to the table, but from an unbiased standpoint, there are a few things that stand out to me regarding the LeBron James saga.

First of all, I think it’s important to point out that LeBron James had to make the decision that was best for LeBron James, and that he didn’t owe anything to the city of Cleveland. If the Miami Heat presented the best opportunity for LeBron, then so be it.

With that being said, I think the way James handled the situation was classless. The fact that he scheduled a one-hour special on ESPN to announce his decision was already enough to show his egotistical nature. But the fact that he would go on national television and stab a stake into the heart of his hometown, I mean, who does that?

The fact that he chose to leave Cleveland is not the problem, it’s the fact that he would put himself in that spotlight and then proceed to break the hearts of his most loyal fans.

Bill Simmons, a sports columnist for ESPN.com reiterated my point through a Twitter post, “Totally fine with LBJ switching teams. But doing that to Cleveland via a one-hour TV show was absolutely brutal. An unprecedented Eff You.”

A few comments made by LeBron during the special also stood out to me as a bit ungracious. LeBron used the word “humbling” to describe the recruiting process. Humbling? In what way?

LeBron may be a better basketball player, but I think I have a better grasp on the English language, especially on a word like “humbling.”

Last time I checked, teams and cities throwing money and praise at you, telling you you are the greatest basketball player on the planet isn’t the most humbling experience.

Another point that has often been brought up is if James leaving Cleveland could tarnish his legacy.

In my opinion, it could. Think of the all-time greats in basketball: Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Bill Russell, Kobe Bryant – they all did it with one team. Even in other sports today, the most respected players are the ones who have consistently won with one team: Derek Jeter, Payton Manning, Tom Brady, Tim Duncan. Even Dwayne Wade, who is widely considered second tier to James, was able to win a championship on his own.

LeBron said it himself, a championship is a championship, but there is no doubt there is a lot more respect for a guy who is able to win on his own, especially in a city that hasn’t won a major championship in 46 years.

But what if LeBron never wins a championship? I mean, outside the big three, the Heat don’t have much. As I write this, they don’t have enough players on their roster to count on two hands. Are James, Wade, Bosh and a few guys off the street enough to get it done?

If he can’t win with two of the top eight players in the league, then there is no doubt the legacy is tarnished.

One thing we can say in favor of LeBron is that he stepped away from conventional wisdom and didn’t follow the money. That’s one act most professional athletes cannot relate to.

Regardless of your feelings on LeBron, or the way the situation was handled, one thing we know for sure is that “The Decision” will go down with The Catch, Red Right 88, The Drive, The Shot, The Fumble and The '97 World Series as the most infamous moments in Cleveland sports history.

Cooper Earns All-Freshmen Honors

2010-03-31T22:56:00.001-04:00

Ohio point guard D.J. Cooper was recently named to CollegeInsider.com’s freshmen All-America team along with 19 others across the country including Kentucky’s John Wall, Kansas’ Xavier Henry, and Georgia Tech’s Derrick Favors.

Rather than assembling a first, second, third, and fourth team like many publications do, College Insider listed all 20 players as one squad.

During his rookie campaign, Cooper averaged 13.5 points per game for the Bobcats as well as 5.9 assists and 5.4 rebounds per contest.

In Ohio’s final three games of the season against Akron, Georgetown and Tennessee, Cooper scored 62 points while leading his team to the MAC Tournament Championship and a birth in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Cooper scored a career-high 33 points in a Feb. 14 game at Akron.

The Ohio point guard lead the Mid-American Conference in assists, steals, and minutes, and was second in assist to turnover ratio. He was also among the leaders in points, rebounds, and free-throw percentage.

Nationally, Cooper ranked in the top ten in assists per game, and 14th in steals and is one of only two players to be ranked in the top 15 of each of these categories.

The freshman phenom also broke a school single-season record for steals with 85.

Previously this month, Cooper was named MAC Freshman of the Year, the fifth Bobcat to receive the honor.

Skilled in many aspects of the game, Cooper came close to a few triple-doubles and even a quadruple-double in some games this season.

In a Mar. 4 game against Bowling Green, Cooper showed his versatility by totaling 6 points, ten rebounds, eleven assists, and 7 steals.

Cooper came into the season as Ohio’s most heralded recruit, but it was not until the postseason that he made a name for himself nationally.

When Cooper dropped 23 points on Georgetown in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and led his team to a commanding win over the Hoyas, coaches around the country were all asking the same questions. “Who is this guy? And how did we not recruit him?”

After a 9th place finish in the MAC in 2010, expect D.J. Cooper and company to take the conference by storm in 2011.

Why Evan Turner, not John Wall is College Basketball’s Player of the Year

2010-02-20T18:27:00.002-05:00

Since 1969, when the Atlanta Tipoff Club presented the first Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year Award to Lew Alcindor of UCLA, no player from either Ohio State or Kentucky has ever won the award.

This year however, it is likely that one of these schools is going to receive its first Naismith Award. The only question is, is it Ohio State’s Evan Turner, or Kentucky’s John Wall?

To me, it’s Evan Turner, and it’s not close. Here’s why:

As Jay-Z once said, “Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t.” Turner leads Wall in nearly every major statistical category including points per game, rebounds per game, and field goal percentage.

Turner averages 19 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game compared to Wall’s 17, 3.8 and 6.4. Turner also shoots 55.4 percent from the filed while Wall shoots 47. 5 percent.

With his 19 points and 9.4 rebounds a game, Turner nearly averages a double-double, a feat accomplished only a few times in the history of college basketball.

Turner has also recorded two triple-doubles this season, an accomplishment even more rare. Coming into the year, there had been only one triple-double ever recorded in Ohio State history. Turner posted two in just over two weeks.

Another important aspect of a player of the year is the effect he has on his team. In the six games that Turner did not play after suffering a broken back on Dec. 5 against Eastern Michigan, Ohio State was 3-3. Since Turner’s return however, Ohio State has gone 9-1, including nine straight Big Ten wins. The lone loss coming on the road to No. 8 West Virginia.

Since Turner’s return, Ohio State has posted wins at No. 4 Purdue, over No. 14 Wisconsin, and at Illinois.

Big players make big plays in big games. In the biggest games of the year, Turner has shown up and led his team.

In back-to-back games against then 4th ranked North Carolina, and 12^th ranked California, Turner scored 23 and 26 points respectively, and posted double-doubles in points and rebounds in both games.

At No. 4 Purdue on Jan 12, Evan Turner posted a career-high 32 points while leading his team back from a 13-point deficit to claim a 70-66 win.

Against ranked opponents, Turner is averaging 23.2 points and 9.8 rebounds.

Turner has scored 25 points or more five times this season compared to Wall who has only eclipsed the 25-point mark once.

With two-years more experience than Wall, Turner has proven to be the more mature player.

Wall is in the top 10 in the nation in terms of turnovers per game. His 98 total turnovers include four 7-turnover games this season.

Wall has also had a few run-ins with head coach John Calipari.

“I just try not to listen to him and go out and play basketball and try and help my team win,” Wall said of Calipari after a seven-turnover game against Vanderbilt on Jan 30.

Because of the impact he has on his team, and his ability to do more than just score points, Evan Turner is the most compete player in college basketball, and should be acknowledged as such.

Bobcats ink 17 on signing day

2010-02-03T20:44:00.003-05:00

With the passing of signing day, the Ohio football team has added 17 new players to the team including 11 incoming freshmen, four junior college transfers and two four-year transfers.

Although the class is smaller than those in years past, Ohio head coach Frank Solich is satisfied with the group they have brought in.

“I’m pleased with the results of what our staff has accomplished,” Solich said. “The numbers in the class are very good. The quality of this class is very good.”

The class includes players at eight different positions, and from seven different states, seven being from Ohio.

“We have been able to attract players from the state of Ohio and we want to continue to have Ohio be the basis of what we’re all about in recruiting,” Solich said.

Two of the bigger names on the list of commitments are Kenny Ashley, a running back transfer from El Camino College in Torrance Calf. and Chase Cochran, a receiver out of Lebanon Ohio.

A highly touted recruit out of high school, Ashley originally committed to USC before transferring to El Camino where he rushed for 693 yards and 13 touchdowns last season.

“We think he is going to be a tremendous back in our system,” Solich said. “He is a big, physical running back with really good movement. We expect him to be dragging some players down the field.”

Solich also spoke highly of Cochran, who was first-team All-Ohio as a high school senior and also earned All-Ohio in track as a sophomore and junior.

“Chase is a speed guy. He has great hands, great speed, and he goes up and gets the ball,” Solich said. “He’s the type of guy that can replace Taylor Price.”

The class also includes Nathan Carpenter, the brother of former Ohio State linebacker and current Dallas Cowboy Bobby Carpenter, as well as the Leftwich twins, Omar and Octavius who are also junior college transfers.

“They’re a very talented group,” Solich said of the twins. “Omar is a lockdown corner, we won’t be afraid to put him against any receiver we face. They’re both capable of stepping on the football field and playing for us right away.”

Along with the Leftwich brothers, Solich believes there are others among the class that can have an immediate impact for the Bobcats.

“They all come with the mindset of being that guy,” Solich said. “But it is clear that there is the ability for some guys to challenge for a starting position.”

Although the class includes some with the ability to start right away for Ohio, Solich believes that they have built the program to the point where it is not necessary for a freshman to start.

Coach Solich also announced the departure of recruiting coordinator Scott Isphording, who recently left the Bobcats to become the quarterbacks’ coach at the University of Toledo.

Perfection

2010-01-08T22:23:00.003-05:00

Perfection is a term rarely used when speaking of the National Football League. In fact, only one team, the 1972 Miami Dolphins, has ever finished the season with an undefeated and perfect record.

In a time where teams seem more concerned with resting for the playoffs than the number in their loss column, we may never again see a perfect season.

Take for example this year’s Indianapolis Colts. Through 15 weeks, they stood unbeaten and 14-0, and only two regular season and three playoff wins away from the second perfect season in NFL history.

However, with a 15-10 third quarter lead over the New York Jets in week 16, Colts’ head coach Jim Caldwell removed quarterback Peyton Manning and multiple other starters from the game.

The Jets went on to score 19 straight points and defeated Indianapolis 29-15.

After the game, the team seemed unaffected by the loss. Coach Caldwell even stated that a 16-0 regular season was not one of the team’s goals.

“The most important thing for us is obviously to make sure we're operating on all cylinders come the playoffs,” Caldwell said. “That's key. That's important. That’s our focus.”

Indianapolis again rested their starters in week 17, and lost 30-7 to the 6-10 Buffalo Bills.

The New Orleans Saint also pushed their record to 13-0 before losing their final three games, two of which to non-playoff teams.

Not only does a team resting its starters in preparation for the playoffs affect the record books, it also affects the playoff hopes of other teams.

Entering week 17 of the 2009-10 season, five AFC teams: New York, Baltimore, Denver, Houston, and Pittsburgh, stood at 8-7, and were among seven teams competing for the final two spots in the playoffs.

For New York and Baltimore, it was win and you’re in. The other five teams however, needed help.

In order to make the playoffs, the Texans needed a Bengals win over the Jets, and the Steelers needed a New England win over Buffalo, and also a Cincinnati win over New York.

The only problem for these two teams was that New England and Cincinnati had already qualified for the playoffs and won their division, thus rendering their games virtually meaningless and giving them little incentive to win.

Steelers’ linebacker LaMarr Woodley went as far as saying that the Patriots and Bengals would “lay down” for their opponents in order to keep Pittsburgh out of the playoffs.

Both New England and Cincinnati lost, eliminating the 9-7 Steelers.

A similar scenario occurred in 2007 when the 10-6 Cleveland Browns needed a Colts victory over the 9-6 Tennessee Titans in order to secure a postseason birth.

Having already earned a first-round bye and home-field advantage, Indianapolis again rested their regulars, leading to a Tennessee win, and denying Cleveland their first playoff appearance in five years.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell recently addressed the issue, stating that it is something he would ask the NFL Competition Committee to take a look at.

While Goodell says he does not blame the Colts for their decision to rest their starters, he also stated in an interview with CBS that the league would consider various incentives to prevent teams from benching starters.

Such incentives could include draft position. Goodell also stated that teams would need to make it clear to the public which players would not be playing, similar to what is done with injury reports.

While some contend that it’s important to keep the starters rested and healthy, others would argue that these teams forget how to win and come out flat by the time they play their first postseason game.

The only other team to run the table in the regular season was the 2007 New England Patriots, who continued to play their starters even after securing home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

The Patriots won all 16 regular-season games plus their first two playoff games and were a freak helmet-catch away from winning the super bowl and going undefeated.

There is also the issue of the team’s supporters. Fans pay money expecting to see the stars on the team play, and expecting to see their team put their best effort into winning.

Why should fans pay to watch games less competitive than the four exhibition games that took place five months ago?

If teams like the 1-15 St. Louis Rams or the 2-14 Detroit Lions go out every week fighting to win despite knowing a win could hurt their draft status, shouldn’t teams like the 14-0 Colts and 13-0 Saints play by the same standard?

Just saying.

The Heisman

2009-12-11T20:43:00.009-05:00

The Heisman Trophy is perhaps the most prestigious individual award in all of sports. To receive the award, is to become a legend. And while it is supposed to be presented annually to the nation's most outstanding player, some would argue that is not always the case.

On the eve of the 75th presentation of the award, we take a look at this year's finalists and the history of college football's most coveted award.

The Heisman Trophy Trust has presented the award since 1935, when Chicago University halfback Jay Berwanger took home the first bronze statue.

Since then, 69 of the 74 winners have been either quarterbacks or running backs. Only one defensive player, Michigan's Charles Woodson, has ever won the award.

Among the finalists this year are two quarterbacks, two running backs, and one defensive tackle.

Recent history would lead one to believe that it will be a quarterback walking away with the trophy come Saturday.

Since the year 2000, only one non-QB has been awarded the trophy, and of the previous nine winners, eight of them have been on teams playing in a BCS Bowl. Seven of the nine have played for the national championship.

So, if history serves us right, Texas' Colt McCoy will come away with the trophy tomorrow night.

McCoy came in second last year in Heisman voting to Oklahoma's Sam Bradford, and although his 3512 yards passing and 27 touchdowns are a drop-off from his 2008 numbers, McCoy appears to be the perfect candidate.

McCoy is the quarterback for the unbeaten Texas Longhorns and lately, the Heisman is more about hype, and what one accomplished last year, and what your team has done over the last ten years, rather than about what has been done this year.

If McCoy did not have the success he had last year, and if he did not play for second-ranked, and unbeaten Texas, would he still be invited as a finalist? Unlikely; here's proof:

As previously stated, this season Colt McCoy has thrown for 3512 yards, 27 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and compiled a 147.5 passer rating.

While these are good numbers, McCoy does not place in the top five in any other these categories.

Houston's Case Keenum has thrown for 5449 yards, 43 TD's and a 159.3 passer rating while only tossing 9 interceptions.

Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen threw for 3722 yards, 28 TD's and a 161.4 passer rating with only four picks.

Boise State's Kellen Moore has compiled 3325 yards passing, 39 touchdowns and a 167.3 passing rating while throwing only three interceptions.

On paper, all three of these players appear to be more deserving than McCoy, however, none of them are playing for the national title, and none of them had the pre-season hype that McCoy did.

"The Heisman Trophy is one of those awards that has evolved to 50 percent of it is about pre-season hype, 25 percent is about giving it to somebody on the undefeated team, and 25 percent is about what the player is accomplishing," said Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh, whose running back Toby Gerhart is also a finalist for the award.

Among the other 2009 finalists are Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh, Alabama's Mark Ingram, and Florida's Tim Tebow.

Tebow won the award as a sophomore in 2007, and was a finalist again a year ago. But what has he done this year to deserve another invitation?

He ranks 49th nationally in passing yards, 39th in touchdown passes, and 112th in passer rating.

However, the gators are the reining national champions and finished with an 11-1 record in 2009.

If the award was really given to college football's most outstanding player, Suh might be the clear winner. However, since Suh is a defensive lineman, the cards are stacked against him.

On the season, Suh has 82 tackles, 12 sacks, and an interception.

Also, don't be surprised if Colt McCoy stays away from Suh at the ceremony after he was harassed by the Nebraska lineman last weekend. Suh sacked McCoy four and a half times.

Stanford running back Toby Gerhart leads the nation in both rushing yards (1736) and rushing touchdowns (26).

Ingram is 5th in yards with 1542, and 14th in touchdowns among backs with 15. However, Ingram plays for undefeated Alabama while Gerhart plays for 8-4 Stanford.

In theory, the award should be given to either Suh or Gerhart, but will that be the case? History says no.

BCS: A Mess

2009-11-23T13:25:00.017-05:00

Nearly every year since the Bowl Championship Series has been in place, someone has been left out. Whether it be an 11-0 Tulane in 1998, or an undefeated Auburn in '04. The system was put in place eleven years ago to end all controversy and crown an undisputed champion. Since 1998 however, there has rarely been a year left undisputed.

To fully examine the fairness of the BCS, we will have to look at how it has worked in the eleven previous years it has been in place. We begin with the year of its inception.

The year is 1998, Ohio State enters the season as the number one ranked team in the land. But, with an Oct. 30 loss to Michigan State, at home, the Buckeyes fall from the ranks of the unbeaten, and watch their title hopes come crashing down.

However, with losses to every team in front of them except the Tennessee Volunteers, Ohio State regains its sights on the title game.

But, the Buckeyes hopes are crushed once again when the computers choose 11-1 Florida State to play Tennessee for the national championship rather than the 11-1 Buckeyes.

This is where the controversy lies, even though Florida State lost by a margin much greater than the 28-24 defeat Ohio State suffered (24-7 to NC State), the Seminoles were given the birth in the Fiesta Bowl to play for the title.

Florida State was defeated by Tennessee in that game 23-16, while Ohio State defeated Big-12 champion Texas A&M 24-14 in the Sugar Bowl, leaving some wondering if Ohio State would have been a better choice to face Tennessee in the Fiesta Bowl.

Furthermore, 11-2 and 3rd ranked Kansas State, was completely left out of a BCS bowl after losing the Big-12 title game to A&M.

A year later, a rule was devised known as the "Kansas State Rule," which stated that a team ranked in the top four of the BCS standings would automatically receive a birth into a BCS bowl.

However, Kansas State was once again left out of the BCS after finishing 6th in the final BCS poll. The Wildcats were instead passed over by number eight Michigan.

Even more controversy came with the end of the 2000 season when the BCS computers decided to send 10-1 Florida State to its third straight title game and leave out 10-1 Miami, even though the Hurricanes had beaten Florida State in the regular season and were ranked higher in both the AP and Coaches' polls.

The Seminoles went on to lose again, 13-2 to undefeated and number-one ranked Oklahoma.

The 2001 season was even more controversial. The computers placed 4th ranked Nebraska in the title game against undefeated Miami even though Nebraska did not even play in its conference championship game.

This raised the question, "How can a team be the best in the country if they are not even the best in their conference?"

Nebraska was chosen over one-loss and Pac-10 champion Oregon, who went on to beat 3rd ranked, and Big-12 champion Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl.

Nebraska, like every other scrutinized school placed in the championship game, was defeated handily, 37-14.

With exactly two teams going undefeated in 2002, the BCS worked to perfection, pairing unbeaten Ohio State against unbeaten Miami in the Fiesta Bowl.

For the first time since the system was put in place however, a member of the Big-10 did not play in the Rose Bowl, leaving Rose Bowl officials vocally upset.

The Orange Bowl selected before the Rose Bowl and took at-large winner Iowa.

Controversy returned in 2003, and in a big way.

At season's end, three teams had one loss, Oklahoma, LSU, and USC.

USC lost a triple overtime thriller at Cal, LSU lost at home to Florida, and Oklahoma was trounced 35-7 in the Big-12 championship game by Kansas State.

LSU and Oklahoma, despite not even winning the Big-12, were chosen to play for the championship, leaving USC to face Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

LSU defeated the Sooners 21-14 in the title game while USC defeated Michigan 28-14 in the Rose Bowl.

After the games, AP voters voted USC number one, despite not playing in the championship game, giving college football its fist split championship since 1997.

In 2004, three power conference teams: USC, Oklahoma, and Auburn all went undefeated, leaving the BCS with a mess to figure out.

In the end, Southern Cal and Oklahoma were chosen to play in the national title. Auburn, was left to face ACC champion Virgina Tech in the Sugar Bowl.

The Trojans crushed the Sooners 55-19 while Auburn remained undefeated, beating Virginia Tech 16-13.

Controversy arose again in 2006 when the BCS selected one-loss Florida to face unbeaten Ohio State in the title game instead of one-loss Michigan.

While Florida lost 27-17 at number 10 Auburn on Oct 14, Michigan's only loss was to number one and unbeaten Ohio State, on the road by three points.

If the number two team goes on the road to face the number one team and losses a close game by three points, doesn't that mean that the rankings were correct, shouldn't that team stay number two?

Many believe that voters did not want to see an Ohio State, Michigan rematch, so Florida was given the opportunity to play in the championship game rather than what appeared to be a more deserving Michigan team.

In 2007, a two-loss LSU team was placed in the title game to face one-loss Ohio State, despite Kansas only having one loss.

In 2008,12-1 Oklahoma was chosen over 11-1 Texas to face Florida in the championship game despite having lost to the Longhorns during the regular season.

2009 has brought even more trouble to the BCS. As it currently stands, four power conference teams are undefeated. (Florida, Alabama, Texas, and Cincinnati)

Florida and Alabama will most likely play each other in the SEC title game, eliminating the loser. But, if the others win out, we will again have three undefeated automatic qualifying teams vying for a spot in the championship game.

Along with the four undefeated AQ (automatic qualifying) teams, there are two other undefeated teams, TCU and Boise State.

These non-automatic qualifying teams have also been a problem for the BCS.

Non-BCS conference teams are eligible for a BCS bowl if they are ranked in the top 12, or if they are ranked in the top 16, and higher than at least one BCS conference champion. However, no more than one team from a non-BCS conference is allowed in.

Since 1998, nine teams have met these qualifications, yet the rule was not put in place until after the 2005 season.

Non-AQ teams have a 3-1 record in BCS bowls.

This season, undefeated TCU and Boise State are ranked 4th, and 6th respectively in the latest BCS standings. If both teams were to win out, they would both qualify for a BCS bowl. However, since only one non-BCS team is allowed in, the lower ranked team would be left out, despite meeting automatic qualifications.

So if the BCS is not the best system, what is?

Many would like to see the bowls return to the old system, where the winners from each conference play in their respective bowl, and voters determine a champion after the bowls have been played.

The good thing about this system is that it preserves the sanctity of the bowl system, and gets rid of all controversy about who plays in which bowl.

However, under this system, there will be split championships, and no one wants that, because no one likes to tie. It's the reason we have overtime, right?

Others would like to see a playoff, similar to how every other sport crowns their champion. But there are pros and cons to this as well.

The great aspect of a playoff would be that all controversy would be decided on the field. Each team would have a chance to prove that they deserve to play for the title.

Say an eight-team playoff is adopted, with the six BCS conference champions receiving automatic bids and two others receiving at-large bids. The eight teams duke it out and our champion is crowned.

Sounds like the perfect system, right? Well, not so fast.

How are the two at-large teams determined? If the playoff was in place this year who would receive the at-large bids?

As is stands, the automatic bids would go to Ohio State (Big Ten), Texas (Big 12), Cincinnati (Big East), Georgia Tech (ACC), Florida/Alabama (SEC), and Oregon/Oregon St. (Pac-1o).

The question now is, who gets the other two spots?

TCU and Boise are both undefeated, but play in week conferences. The loser of Florida/Alabama would have one loss, but it would be to the SEC champion. So who gets left out?

Regardless of how many teams are let in the playoffs, someone will always be left out, and there will always be controversy.

The playoff systems also ruins the tradition of the Bowls, a staple of college football.

So although a playoff may seem appetizing, it may not be the answer.

Another option would be a plus-one system.

Under this system, the bowls could return to their old form and their old conference tie-ins.

Thus, the winner of the Big Ten would face the winner of the Pac-10 in the Rose Bowl, Big East verse ACC in the Orange Bowl, SEC against an at-large in the Sugar Bowl, and the winner of the Big-12 against an at-large in the Fiesta Bowl.

After the bowls, the top two teams would be voted on, and would play in the national championship game.

Although there still could be some controversy over the top two teams after the bowls are played, the games would at least give the voters an opportunity to see the teams against other highly ranked teams.

The system also preserves the sanctity of the bowl system.

If this system had been in place in previous years, all the teams that were snubbed out of the title game but went on to win their game, (Ohio State, Miami, Oregon, USC, Auburn, and Texas) would have had the opportunity to play for the championship.

In reality, there may be no perfect system, but there has to be one better than what we have now.

Shootout Success

2009-11-21T00:00:00.003-05:00

After being beat worse than Jim Mora-coached-teams in the playoffs, the Columbus Blue Jackets returned to their winning ways with two shootout victories over Western Conference foes.

This is the Midweek Report.

Last Three:

Detroit:

The Blue Jackets entered last Wednesday’s game against Detroit on a five game point streak, but left the game embarrassed.

Not only did the Jackets fail to redeem themselves against the team that sent them packing in just four games in the first round of the 2009 playoffs, they failed to show up.

The 9-1 loss was one of the largest defeats in Columbus history, and Detroit’s nine goals set a record for most goals scored against the Blue Jackets in Nationwide Arena.

Goaltender Steve Mason was pulled during the first period after giving up three quick goals, then put back in to start the second.

In all, Mason allowed a total of eight goals on the night.

The game, which was the 1,000th coached in Ken Hitchcock’s NHL career, was also the first time Columbus faced Detroit while being ahead of them in the Central Division standings.

Anaheim:

After struggling mightily against Detroit, Columbus got off to another slow start against Anaheim.

Midway through the first period, Columbus was being outshot 10-2 and had allowed the first goal of the game to Bobby Ryan.

Rick Nash’s 13^th goal tied the score at one.

After a scoreless third period and overtime, the teams entered the shootout where Columbus goaltender Mathieu Garon has excelled.

After a goal by Kristian Huselius, Rick Nash gave Columbus the win with this goal on one leg.

Garon made 32 of 34 saves for the win.

Edmonton:

Columbus goaltender Mathieu Garon improved to 18-4 in shootouts with the shootout win over Edmonton on Monday night.

After a scoreless first, the teams each tallied goals in the second and third periods to reach the 2-2 tie at the end of regulation.

In the shootout, Columbus’ Fedor Tyutin put one past Nikolai Khabibulin to give the Blue Jackets the lead. It was his first shootout attempt since clinching the win for Columbus over Chicago last season in the game that earned the team its first ever Stanley Cup Playoff birth.

After Edmonton’s Ales Hemsky forced a fourth shooter by tying the shootout total at one, Columbus’ Jakub Voracek scored the winning goal for the Jackets.

To secure the victory, Columbus goaltender Mathieu Garon denied former Columbus first-round pick Gilbert Brule.

The Youth:

The Blue Jackets have announced that they have loaned winger Nikita Filatov to CSKA Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League for the remainder of the 2009-2010 season.

Filatov has appeared in 13 games this season, and scored 2 goals.

Filatov was Columbus’ first-round pick, sixth overall, at the 2008 entry draft.

Last season he tallied four goals in eight games, including a hat-trick against Minnesota on Jan. 10.

Power Play:

Columbus went 0-2 verses Detroit, 1-4 against Anaheim, and 2-4 against Edmonton.

This brings the season total to 17 for 73, or 23.3 percent, good enough for seventh best in the NHL.

The power play continues to be a big area of improvement for the Blue Jackets, after ranking last in the category nearly all of last season.

The Kill:

The Blue Jackets killed off 2 of 4 against Detroit, all 5 verses Anaheim, and 3 of 5 against Edmonton.

This brings the season total to 68 for 87, or 78.2 percent, a far cry from when the Jackets led the league in this category after killing nearly 30 straight penalties earlier this year.

Central Race:

Columbus currently sits two points back of division-leader Chicago, with 24 points.

With one less game played than Columbus and Chicago, Detroit is close behind with 23 points.

Nashville and St. Louis have 21 and 16 points respectively.

Injury Report:

Columbus winger Raffi Torres took a puck to the face in last Wednesday night’s game against Detroit and, according to the Columbus Blue Jackets Official Website,

has been place on injured reserve and is expected to miss at least one week.

Up Next:

The Blue Jackets begin a five-game road trip Thursday at Dallas. The trip will take them to Nashville, New York, Montreal, and Ottawa before returning home to face Jerome Iginla and the Calgary Flames on Nov. 28.

Smelling Roses

2009-11-14T19:07:00.002-05:00

Western Woes

2009-10-28T13:18:00.003-04:00

The Columbus Blue Jackets picked up two of a possible eight points on a disappointing western road trip during which quality defense was sparse.

Through four games, the Jackets tallied 15 goals while allowing 22. At times, the offense was spectacular, scoring goals in large numbers. The defense and goal-tending on the other hand, struggled mightily at times, squandering 3 and 2 goal leads in consecutive games.

The Jackets have also allowed the first goal in 6 straight, a trend that must stop if they want to be successful on the road.

Here is this week’s midweek report.

Last Three:

At Edmonton:

After falling to Calgary 6-3 on Tuesday night, the Columbus Blue Jackets headed even further north for a late-night encounter with the Edmonton Oilers.

In a game in which Mathieu Garon got his second start of the year between the pipes, the Jackets gave up the first goal of the game only 58 seconds into the opening period.

The Columbus offense however, had an answer, scoring two goals in the first, and another two to open the second, to take a commanding 4-1 lead.

Kristian Huselius tallied his third and fourth goals of the season; Chimera and Torres also added goals.

But moments later, Dustin Penner would help cut into the Columbus lead, scoring his sixth goal of the season.

Late in the second, Columbus took three consecutive penalties, and killed off the first two, but was not able to withstand the pressure on the third, allowing the Oilers to close the gap to 4-3.

They say when it rains it pours, and in the third period it poured all over the Blue Jackets as they allowed three goals. Two of the three came on the power-play, the later of the two an empty-netter albeit.

Garon stopped 26 of 31 shots. Former Blue Jackets first round draft choice Gilbert Brule missed his second consecutive game because of the flu.

At Anaheim:

On a day where all 30 NHL teams were in action, the Blue Jackets were led by captain Rick Nash who posted two goals and an assist while leading Columbus to their only win on the four game trip.

The two teams traded first and second period goals to reach a 2-2 tie before Jakub Voracek connected on two consecutive goals; both assisted by Antoine Vermette late in the second.

After allowing the Ducks the re-tie the score at four in the third, Fedor Tyutin slapped in the game winner on a shot from just inside the blue line.

Nash added an empty-netter with 16 second remaining to seal the 6-4 victory.

Mason played well in this one, denying Anaheim when it counted.

Blue Jackets Center Samuel Pahlsson skated for 19 and a half minutes, but was pointless against his former team.

At Los Angeles:

The Kings struck early and often in this one, jumping out to a three- goal lead before Antoine Vermette got the Jackets on the board late in the second.

The biggest story of this game may have been the dirty hit L.A.’s Rob Scuderi laid on Columbus’ Jason Chimera. Tuesday, the NHL announced it fined Scuderi an undisclosed amount for the low blow.

Steve Mason appeared to struggle, stopping only 19 of the 25 L.A. shots. The absence of Jan Hejda, who is +8 on the year, also may have contributed to the defense’s struggles.

The Youth:

The young offensive firepower of Jakub Voracek was on full display in Calgary and Edmonton, tallying two goals and two assists in the two games.

Nikita Filatov skated in all three games after sitting out the pervious three. He averaged 6.7 minutes of ice time but did not record a point.

Steve Mason recorded his first point of the year however, an assist on Rick Nash’s empty net goal against Anaheim.

Power Play Watch:

Columbus was 1-4 on the PP against Edmonton, 0-2 at Anaheim, and 1-4 against L.A. for a total of 2-10.

This brings the season total to 9-38, or 24%.

The Kill:

After entering Thursday night’s game with the leagues best penalty kill, things went downhill quickly, killing only 5-8 at Edmonton, 0-2 against Anaheim, and 2-4 vs. L.A.

In the three games, the Columbus PK was abysmal, allowing seven power play goals, after giving up only one in the previous seven games.

The season total is now 34-42, or 81%, dropping 15% in just three games.

Although the defense itself was sub-par when down a man, the real problem may be the fact that they were forced to play that way eight times in one game.

Leading 4-2 against Edmonton, Columbus took three consecutive penalties, finally surrendering a goal on the third, after killing off their 28^th and 29^th consecutive penalties.

Central Race:

Despite the losses, the Blue Jackets remain in second place in the central with 12 points.

Chicago leads the division with 15, while St. Louis, Detroit, and Nashville have nine, eight, and seven points respectively.

Columbus leads in goals per game average with 3.3, while Chicago leads in goals against with an average of 2.4.

Injury Report:

According to their official site, the Blue Jackets have placed Andrew Murray on the injured reserve, retroactive to Oct. 20.

Murray is suffering shoulder problems and is expected to be out until mid-November.

Jan Hejda and Fredrik Modin both remain on the IR with knee injuries and Jared Boll is listed as questionable for the Oct. 28 match against the Phoenix Coyotes.

Defenseman Mike Commodore made his fist start of the season Saturday night at Anaheim after missing the first eight games due to a nagging groin injury.

Up Next:

The Blue Jackets come back home for two games to face Phoenix and Pittsburgh before heading east to take on Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on Nov. 1.

A young Phoenix team is led by winger Shane Doan, who has 10 points on the year.

The Blue Jackets will face the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins Saturday night when Sidney Crosby and company bring their 9-2 record to Nationwide Arena.

Midweek Report 10/21

2009-10-22T15:11:00.002-04:00

Last Two:

Los Angeles:

After signing defenseman Kris Russel to a three-year contract extension through the 2012-2013 season, the defenseman returned the favor to the club by assisting on a Raffi Torres power play goal, which turned out to be the game winner.

For the second straight game, Columbus gave up the first goal of the game, but fought back after being down.

LA scored their lone goal of the game 10:08 into the first period on a wrist shot from Dustin Brown.

But with less than a minute remaining in the period, Jason Chimera intercepted a pass in his own zone, drove down the ice, and fired a bullet from the top of the face-off circle to the right of Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick to tie the score at one.

Torres’ second period power play goal proved to be the difference in the game, coming with only 2:58 remaining in the period, assisted by Brassard and Russel.

The Blue Jackets tacked on two insurance goals in the third, a shorthanded goal from the captain Rick Nash, and an empty net power play goal from Jakub Voracek with just over a minute remaining.

The goal by Nash extended his point streak to five games.

At Calgary

The Jackets headed back west for a Tuesday night affair with the Calgary Flames. After quickly falling behind by two goals, the Blue Jackets were able to get on the board courtesy of another Rick Nash shorthanded goal to cut the deficit to 2-1.

According to the Columbus Blue Jackets, the goal was Nash’s 11th shorthanded goal since the start of the 2007-2008 season, which is second in the league behind Philadelphia’s Mike Richards with 12.

The Jackets again fell down by two goals when Jay Bouwmeester added his first goal of the season, but retaliated with two straight power play goals from Derick Brassard and Jakub Voracek to tie the game at three.

In a game where Columbus goaltender Steve Mason struggled, making only 16 of 22 saves, Calgary added three more goals to bring the final to 6-3.

The Youth:

In only the past two games, forwards Derick Brassard and Jakub Voracek have combined for three goals and two assists. Kris Russel also added an assist.

Nikita Filatov did not skate for the third straight game, but is expected to play Thursday night when the Jackets face the Edmonton Oilers.

Power Play Watch:

Columbus was 2-6 with the man advantage Saturday night against Los Angeles with the later of the two coming on a late-game empty net goal from Jakub Voracek.

The Blue Jackets were 2-7 against Calgary, bringing the season total to 7-28, or an even 25%.

The Kill:

Columbus continues to impress on the penalty kill, having scored more than they have given up.

The Jackets were 5-5 against the Kings and 5-5 against the Flames as well, bringing the season total to 27-28, or 96%, which is tops in the league.

With Nash’s shorthander against Calgary, the Jackets have scored three shorthanded goals while only allowing one all year.

Central Race:

With seven games played, Columbus, with ten points, currently sits a half-game behind central leading Chicago, who has played eight games and recorded 11 points.

St. Louis and Detroit follow with seven points apiece, while Nashville brings up the rear with a 2-4-1 record and five points.

Columbus leads in goals against average at 2.5, while Chicago leads in goals for with an average of 3.6 goals a game.

Injury Report:

Defenseman Mike Commodore is still recovering from a groin injury but has began practicing, and is expected back in the lineup soon, according to the Columbus Blue Jackets Official Website.

Fredrik Modin and Jan Hejda both remain on the injured reserve with knee injuries and are expected to be out until late October and mid November respectively.

With the absence of both Commodore and Hejda, defenseman Fedor Tyutin has seen his playing time rapidly increase, logging a team leading 17:06 minutes in Saturday night’s victory over Los Angeles.

Up Next:

The Blue Jackets continue their western road trip with stops in Edmonton, Anaheim, and LA.

Columbus faces-off with the Oilers Thursday night in Edmonton.

Edmonton is 5-2-1 on the season and currently sits in third place in the Northwest Division.

Former Blue Jacket Gilbert Brule has tallied four goals and three assists in only seven games played with the Edmonton.

#5 Ohio at #4 Delaware - Preview

2009-10-15T16:45:00.002-04:00

After splitting a series last weekend against Penn State, the Ohio University hockey team is faced with another tough test this weekend on the road in the undefeated and fourth ranked Delaware Blue Hens.

The Blue Hens are led by coach Michael DeAngelis, who is a personal friend of Ohio Head Coach Dan Morris, and speaks very highly of both the Ohio hockey program, and coach Morris himself.

I really like the style they play, it’s the epitome of hockey,” DeAngelis said. “They do a really good job of showcasing the talent of the ACHA.”

As for Coach Morris, DeAngelis said he believes Morris is the best coach in the ACHA. “I really hold him in high regard,” DeAngelis said.

The Bobcats played two physical games last weekend against Penn State, winning 2-1 on Friday night, but dropping Saturday night’s contest 4-3 in overtime.

“The guys handled it great last week,” said Morris. “I feel like we outplayed them both nights, we just didn’t get the result we wanted Saturday night, but we’re a team looking to improve, so any chance we get to play good competition, we look forward to it.”

Morris said that they do not prepare any differently for a game of such great stature, but use the games as a test to see where the team is, and what they need to work on. “Good teams expose those things,” he said.

Delaware Coach Michael DeAngelis said although they try to keep things business as usual for games like this, they may pull out a few extra things they wouldn’t use against an unranked opponent.

“Ohio plays a hard-nosed, physical brand of hockey,” said DeAngelis. They’re built to punish.”

One advantage DeAngelis feels his team has is that Delaware plays on an Olympic-sized sheet of ice, compared to the smaller 190' by 85' rink size that OU is accustomed to.

As far as keys to victory for his team, DeAngelis said discipline would be huge. “We don’t want to put them on the power play,” he said. “Good teams are great because of special teams.”

Offensively, the Bobcats are looking to improve on finishing their chances, and putting the puck in the net, said Morris.

“We need to concentrate for 60 minutes,” said the coach. “We look forward to the opportunity in front of us.”

Midweek Report 10/14

2009-10-13T23:46:00.003-04:00

Three games later, the Columbus Blue Jackets are still off to their best start in franchise history. A loss on the road at San Jose Thursday night, followed by consecutive victories over Phoenix and Calgary led the Jackets to their 4-1 record, and a spot atop the central division.

Last Three:

At San Jose:

After successive wins over Minnesota and Vancouver to start the season, the Blue Jackets took their winning streak on the road to face Dany Heatley and the San Jose Sharks.

Columbus struck first with an opening period goal from Rick Nash, but San Jose was relentless, scoring four times in the second, and twice again in the third to reach the 6-3 final.

Heatley, acquired by the Sharks from Ottawa only a month ago, recorded his eighth career hat-trick, with the third goal coming on a late-game penalty shot.

At Phoenix:

Recently acquired goaltender Mathieu Garon got his first start Saturday night in Phoenix, and capitalized on the opportunity.

Garon was perfect, stopping all 36 Coyote shots, and leading his team to a 2-0 victory in the desert. It was the first shutout of the year from CBJ net-minders, after reigning Calder Memorial Trophy winner Steve Mason recorded ten a year ago.

Rick Nash tallied his second goal of the season on a beautiful tic-tac-toe pass from Huselius and Brassard. R.J. Umberger put the icing on the cake with an empty net goal with 17 seconds remaining, also his second on the year.

Calgary:

Tuesday evening’s affair was the first game back on home ice since the season opener, and offered a tough test in the then 4-1-1 Calgary Flames.

Calgary got on the board first with a goal from former Blue Jacket Curtis Glenncross, and led 1-0 after one.

The Blue Jackets countered with two goals just 2:04 apart, scored by two former Flames in Anton Stralman and Kristian Hueslius, the first coming on a five-on-three man advantage late in the second period.

Rick Nash assisted on both goals, extending his multi-point game steak to four. Huselius has also put-up points in four straight games.

Mason was able to hang on for the victory, making 22 saves in a 2-1 Columbus victory.

The Youth:

After spending a brief one game stint down on the second line, Derick Brassard returned to the top line for Saturday night’s game against Phoenix, and has played well since, recording assists and creating opportunities in both games.

Jakub Voracek and Nikita Filatov have been quiet recently; both were pointless through the past three. Filatov was a healthy scratch against Calgary.

Mathieu Roy tallied an assist on a Chimera goal at San Jose, and is +1 on the year.

Power Play Watch:

Columbus was 1-3 on the PP against San Jose, 0-2 against Phoenix, and 1-4 against Calgary. This brings the season total to 3-15, or 20%

The power play was an area of need for the Jackets a year ago. The 20% the team is averaging this year is much improved from the 11% the team averaged last year.

The Kill:

The penalty kill, on the other hand, seems to be an area of great strength for the Blue Jackets. Columbus entered Tuesday night’s game as the best penalty-killing team in the NHL, and did not do anything to hurt that status, killing off the only penalty they took all night.

Columbus was 4-4 on the kill at San Jose and 6-6 at Phoenix, including a late-game double minor to Derick Brassard.

On the year, Columbus has killed 17 of 18 penalties, or 94%.

Fortunately the Jackets have done a good job killing off the penalties, but an even better way to prevent power play goals is to stay out of the box in general, somewhere many Jackets have spent significant time over the past few games.

Central Race:

With eight points, Columbus has claimed their spot at the top of the central, but is closely followed by Chicago, who sits just a point away with a 3-1-1 record.

St. Louis, Nashville, and Detroit each have four points.

Chicago leads in goals for with 19, while Columbus leads in goals against average with 2.2.

In recent years, with Columbus, Chicago, and St. Louis all struggling, the division was know as the “Comedy Central.” Now, the division may be the best in all of hockey. Who’s laughing now?

Injury Report:

Defenseman Mike Commodore (groin) and winger Fredrik Modin (knee) both remain on the injured reserve.

Commodore is listed as questionable for Saturday night’s game against the Los Angeles Kings and Modin is expected to be out until at least late October.

Up Next:

The Blue Jackets face off against the 4-1 Los Angeles Kings Saturday Oct. 17 at Nationwide Arena, then head back on the road for a four-game western trip making stops in Calgary, Edmonton, Anaheim, and Los Angeles.

The Kings have won four in a row after dropping their season opener and are led by wingers Anze Kopitar and Ryan Smith who each have four goals on the season.

Midweek Report

2009-10-09T11:16:00.002-04:00

Coming off the best season in franchise history, the Columbus Blue Jackets are off to the best start in franchise history. The team is 2-0 for the first time sice their inception into the league nine years ago.

The Blue Jackets have been getting good play from the entire team and have propelled themselves to victories over Minnesota on Saturday, and at Vancouver on Monday. Here is the midweek report.

Last two games: 2-0

The Jackets opened the ’09 season with a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild, in front of a sold-out Nationwide Arena on Saturday night.

The teams played a relatively uneventful first period after a rambunctious pre-game opening ceremony, ending play in a scoreless tie.

The Jackets were on the board for the first time of the year in the second period when forward R.J. Umberger scored on a shorthanded breakaway goal. Moments later Captain Rick Nash was presented with the same opportunity, but was not able to capitalize on the breakaway.

Minnesota tied the score with a third period goal from Andrew Brunette at 4:43. Minutes later, the only remaining original Blue Jacket celebrated his new four-year deal with the club by putting the finishing touches on the teams first victory of the year.

Rostislav Klesla scored at 10:10 of the third and the reigning Calder Memorial Trophy winner Steve Mason held on for the win. Mason finished with 32 saves in all.

Monday night’s affair with the Vancouver Canucks offered a new test for Columbus. It was the first road game of the year, and the first of a three game western road trip for the Jackets.

Vancouver struck first, at 15:29 in the first, but Columbus responded, killing off a five-on-three man advantage and scoring just moments after the penalty expired to end the first in a 1-1 tie.

The Jackets would add three consecutive goals in the second, scored by Huselius, Klesla, and Filatov before Vancouver added one more to close the cap to 4-2.

The Canucks made it close with a third period goal from Willie Mitchell, but Columbus added some insurance courtesy of a power play goal from Fedor Tyutin with 4:57 to play.

With the win, Columbus climbed to 2-0, while Vancouver fell to 0-3 for the first time since 2001 despite averaging 40 shots a game.

The young guys:

The younger guys performed well in the first two games. Nikita Filatov tallied his first goal of the season against Vancouver. Brassard seems to be fully recovered from his surgery and the shoulder injury he suffered last December, and appears to be poised to center the top line with great strength.

Jakub Voracek is bigger and stronger, and posted assists in both games. Even young Mathieu Roy has gotten in on the action, and has filled in nicely while Mike Commodore had missed time due to injury.

Power play watch:

Columbus was 0-2 on the PP on Saturday night and 1-4 with the man advantage on Monday. That puts the season total at 1-6, or for those of you who can’t do it in your head, about 17%.

The penalty kill was 3-4 on Saturday and 4-4 on Monday, bringing the season total to 7-8 or 87.5%.

Central Race:

The Jackets currently sit in a two-way tie atop the Central Division. St. Louis is also 2-0 while Chicago lurks close behind with three points at 1-0-1. Nashville is in fourth with a 1-0 record and Detroit is bringing up the rear at 0-2.

St. Louis leads the division in goals for with 9, while Detroit leads in goals against with 9.

Injury report:

After taking a cheap hit Monday night from Vancouver’s Darcy Hordichuk, Jared Boll was taken off the ice and is listed as questionable for Thursday night’s game. Fredrik Modin is still on the IR due to knee problems. Mike Commodore is expected to play against San Jose on Thursday.

Next up:

Thursday night, 10:30 pm at San Jose.

Will most likely be the premiere of new Jackets defenseman Anton Stralman.

San Jose is 1-2 coming off a 6-4 loss at Los Angeles.

The Sharks sit in a four-way tie atop the Pacific Division with two points.

Everything you need to know about opening night

2009-10-02T00:15:00.002-04:00

Coming off the franchise’s first ever playoff birth, the upcoming season may be the most highly anticipated Columbus Blue Jackets season since the inaugural season back in 2000. Here is everything you need to know about opening night.

The Blue Jackets are 3-3-1-1 all time on opening night, and 2-1-1-1 at home. This is the first time that the Blue Jackets have opened their season with the Wild, a team that entered the league the same year as Columbus.

The Jackets have opened with the Blackhawks twice, in 2000 and 2002, but have never opened with any other team more than once. The other teams the Jackets have seen on opening night are St. Louis, Atlanta, Washington, Vancouver, Anaheim, and Dallas.

Three times have the Blue Jackets opened the season with an overtime game. The first, a tie against St. Louis in ’01, then an overtime loss at Vancouver in ’06 and a victory over Dallas a year ago.

The Jackets have scored 22 goals on opening night in their nine-year history. The team leader for goals on opening night is Rick Nash with three. David Vyborny and Dan Fritsche each have two. Fritsche’s pair came in the same game, a loss against Washington back in 2005.

The quickest goal scored by a Blue Jacket on opening night was scored just 31 seconds into the first period by Geoff Sanderson in a 3-3 tie to St. Louis in 2001.

The Jackets first all time goal was scored by Bruce Gardiner in the team’s first opening night game in 2000.

The goaltender with the most opening night wins for the Blue Jackets is Pascal LeClaire, with victories in 2007 and 2008. And if you care, Blue Jacket goaltenders have allowed 21 total goals.

The all-time Nationwide Arena opening night attendance is 90,396, including four sellouts.

Opening night is Oct. 3. Come support your team, and help them add another victory to the all-time total.

Grad skates his way from ACRN to NHL in-game host

2009-10-02T00:13:00.002-04:00

If you have been to a Columbus Blue Jackets game over the past few years, you’re sure to have heard the voice of Mike Todd.

Todd is the in-arena host at Nationwide Arena, and one of three in-game personalities to have graduated from Ohio University.

As a telecommunications major at OU, Todd was involved in many campus wide activities including the All Campus Radio Network, Campus Crusade for Christ, as well as some political groups.

While at OU, Todd met his ACRN radio show co-host and current Blue Jackets PA announcer, Greg Murray. Together the two hosted the university station’s morning show "Murray, Todd and More", and even set an Ohio record for most consecutive time on the air, over 99 hours.

Todd, unlike Murray, was a big hockey fan in college. “We used to go over to Bird Arena and rattle the chain link fence they had around the ice during hockey games, it was always a good time,” Todd said.

Although he was always a fan of the game, he never saw himself doing what he does today. Like Murray, he knew he wanted to work in radio when he graduated, but initially took at job at Compucard as a phone salesman. “I needed to put food on the table,” he said, “working at Compucard really helped me when it came to people relations.”

He also spent time working at several central Ohio radio stations before a good friend of his made him aware of the Blue Jackets job posting on the website and suggested he try out. Todd then called Greg Murray, the Blue Jackets PA announcer, and asked him what he thought. “He told me I better be prepared to get the job,” Todd recalled. “I didn’t recommend him to anyone, but I knew he would get it,” Murray said.

Todd did get the job, and now is one of the more recognizable personalities at a Blue Jackets game. During the game, Todd is in charge of the games and contests and is often found hanging around with the Pepsi Power Patrol or Cannon Crew.

Before each game, Todd and Murray script and perform a pre-game show called “The Rink Report”, which previews the upcoming opponent and also takes a look at other games around the league.

Along with being the in-arena host, Todd also does a lot of charity work with The Blue Jackets Foundation. Events include a golf outing, a fashion show called “Black Ties, Blue Jackets” to support pediatric cancer research, and according to the foundation’s official website, “a day long extravaganza throughout Nationwide Arena of games, autograph sessions, locker room tours, interactive photo stations, auction, and more”, known as Hockey Fest. “The work we do with the Blue Jackets Foundation is very rewarding,” Todd said.

Todd also became very close with the late Ryan Salmons and his family during his fight with cancer. “Getting to know Ryan and his family was a great privilege of mine,” Todd said.

When asked about his favorite part of the job, he responded by saying it is the people. “I have the pleasure of working with a lot of wonderful and talented people,” Todd said, “including Greg Murray.”

Besides his work with the Blue Jackets, Todd owns and operates three restaurants in the central Ohio area, as well as his own DJ business with which he works parties and weddings.

“Coming from a small town, OU allowed me to experience different viewpoints and cultures,” Todd said. “Through the telecommunications school, and organizations such as ACRN, I was able form the relationships and gain the experience needed to be successful.”

From Bobcat to Blue Jackets

2009-09-29T17:20:00.003-04:00

If you saw him on the street, you most likely wouldn’t recognize him, but it is his voice that would give him away.

As a broadcast journalism major at Ohio University, Greg Murray did not know a thing about hockey.

“I would go over to my brother’s place to watch hockey and have no idea what was going on,” Greg said.

Now, as the PA announcer for the Columbus Blue Jackets, his love for the game has grown immensely. So much so that it can occasionally even be to the displeasure of his wife. “It can sometimes get to her,” Murray said. “But it’s the best sport in the world to watch.”

Murray is one of three former Bobcats, along with in-arena host Mike Todd, and anthem singer Leo Welsh, to have a major role on the in-game experience at a Blue Jackets hockey game.

While at OU, Murray worked for the All Campus Radio Network, and as a DJ at a local bar. During his time with ACRN, Greg and Fellow host Mike Todd set a record for the longest radio marathon in Ohio history, over 99 hours.

When Murray graduated from OU in 1990, his intention was to work in radio, as a DJ, and he did. Murray bounced around between a couple radio stations before landing what he considered his dream job at QFM 96 in Columbus.

It was there, at the High Street studios of QFM, that Murray watched the construction of the future home of the Blue Jackets, Nationwide Arena.

When Murray heard about the PA job opening, he sent in his tape, the management liked his voice, and he got the job.

As PA announcer, Murray is most well-known for sayings such as “Jackets on the power play,” or his pre-game announcement of the starting lineups, but few people know about the other responsibilities Murray takes on.

Before each game, Murray and Todd script and perform a pre-game show called the “Rink Report”, which takes a look at the upcoming match as well as other games around the league. He is also responsible for “spotting” the game, and notifying the presentation and production directors of breaks in the actions, so that they can know the appropriate time to display a video, or play a sound bite.

Greg and the crew take time before each game to go over the pronunciation of all the player’s names for the upcoming game. Names like Nikolai Khabibulin (hah-bee-BOO-lihn) or Wade Dubielewicz (DOO-bih-wihtz) could give an unprepared announcer trouble. “That’s the hardest part,” he said. “People get really upset if you mispronounce names, you lose credibility.”

Murray, as well as Todd, also takes part in many Blue Jackets Foundation charity events such as a golf outing, Hockey Fest, and a fashion show dubbed “Black Ties, Blue Jackets”, to raise money and awareness for pediatric cancer research.

When asked what his favorite part about the job was, Murray responded by saying it was working with his best friend, Mike Todd. “Mike is my best friend, working with him is an absolute blast.” “This is not a job to me,” he said.

Along with being the public address announcer at the Blue Jackets games, Murray owns and operates MurrVox Voice Imaging, that according to its website “provides professional television, radio and industrial voiceovers and commercial and audio production”. Murray also does some freelance work for various Christian radios stations throughout the country.

At the conclusion of the 2008-’09 season, Murray had announced 362 consecutive home games. “You’ve got to be on your game night in and night out,” he said. “We take it very seriously.”

Bobcats Pound Penguins

2009-09-27T17:47:00.002-04:00

The Bobcats put on a clinic Friday night, thumping Youngstown State 10-1. Ohio was led by veterans Steve Osacky and Ryan Tessmer, who each tallied two and three goals, respectively.

In a rare occurrence, the Bobcats recorded a hat-trick for the second straight game, after defenseman Zack Barbis scored a trio of goals last Saturday night against Mercyhurst.

The win came without five key Ohio players, who had been suspended a game for their part in a brawl that erupted last series against Mercyhurst.

The suspended players included starting goaltender Paul Marshall. With Marshall not able to play, backup goalie Patrick Morse assumed the starting role. Morse played well, turning away all but one of the Penguin’s shots.

“I felt more comfortable after I stopped the first shot,” said Morse. “I got a lot of work in practice, it felt great.”

All in all, the Bobcats torched the net with ten goals on 52 shots, leaving Youngstown State’s goaltender helpless.

You can only ask so much of a goaltender,” said Ohio Coach Dan Morris. “Speed was a factor tonight, we came in with more energy off the bat.”

The game was not all good news for the Bobcats though. During the second period, Barbis was caught in the corner when his own teammate fell onto him, breaking his tibia. He is expected to be out at least four weeks.

Game two of the series did not bring quite the offensive fireworks that game one displayed, but still ended in a 4-1 Ohio victory.

Youngstown State’s goaltender played flawless through the first period, making numerous spectacular saves and leading his team to a scoreless tie at the end of one.

The Penguins continued their good play into the second. But with 11:47 remaining the second, Youngstown State defenseman Ian Hardenbrook took a five-minute major boarding penalty, followed by a two minute hooking penalty by teammate Alex Arnold. The penalties gave the Bobcats a five on three man advantage, and set up Tyler Pilmore’s fourth goal of the year with 7:14 remaining.

Ohio held on to its one goal margin well into the third when goaltender Paul Marshall made an amazing save, reaching behind him to pull the puck out from in front of the net.

The Bobcats were able to add some insurance late in the third, tallying two goals within 42 seconds.

The teams traded goals with under five minutes remaining to reach the 4-1 final.

“I think their goaltender became fatigued,” Coach Morris said. “But we’ve still got some things to improve on, we had some veterans making mistakes, which should not happen.”

Between the two games, Ohio ended the series with 14 goals, and 106 shots.

Ohio Hockey vs. Youngstown St. Preview

2009-09-24T22:47:00.004-04:00

The Ohio University hockey team started the ’09 season strong, with a series sweep over Mercyhurst last weekend.

This weekend, the Bobcats are set to faceoff against the Youngstown State Penguins. The upcoming series is the first of the year for Youngstown State, after a strong campaign a year ago in which they upended nationally ranked programs including Pitt and West Virginia.

During the 2008-2009 season, the Penguins found themselves nationally ranked for the first time in the programs short three-year history. OU players said although they don’t know a lot about Youngstown State as a team, they will not look past them.

“A lot of the younger guys don’t know a whole lot about them,” admitted forward Tyler Pilmore. “But we won’t overlook them, we’re focused on them this weekend,” he continued.

The Bobcats began the season with a 3-1 victory last Friday night, followed by a 5-0 blowout win over the Lakers Saturday night, in a game where an all out brawl erupted between the two teams after what appeared to be a premeditated fight drawn up by the Mercyhurst coaching staff.

When asked what the team needed to improve on from last week to this week, Bobcats Head Coach Dan Morris said they need to focus on doing a better job scoring goals when they have the opportunity.

“I would like to see us finish when we have our chances,” Morris said. “But it’s early.”

This weekend’s matchup also presents a difficult task in replacing five injured guys. Morris said he has been switching up the lines all week in order to compensate.

The team will also focus on gelling as a unit and becoming more comfortable with the system. “We struggled with our chemistry a bit last week,” said Pilmore.

Teammate Justin Farmer agreed, “We need to play together,” he said. “We don’t know much about them, but we go into the weekend the same as every week, as long as we play our game, it doesn’t matter who we play.”

Youngster Get Chance to Shine

2009-09-22T16:04:00.003-04:00

It has been an interesting pre-season for the Columbus Blue Jackets, so much so, that their record, which stands at 1-2-1, may be the least intriguing and relevant news.

A big story of the preseason thus far has the play of some of the young guys. Maksim Mayorov tallied two goals in the opening game against Pittsburgh. Alexander Picard also added a goal.

According to sources, John Moore has looked outstanding. As a skater, he looks far beyond his years. He does not look like an eighteen year old on the ice, and it appears he going to be around for a while, at least until the end of camp.

Forward Michael Blunden, who has looked good in camp, has impressed coaches, and could compete for the fourth line center position.

Grant Clitsome is another youngster that has impressed. Clitsome finished a nice goal on a beautiful pass from Derick Brassard in Monday night’s game and has played well with the puck.

The team has also seen strong goaltending from recently signed goaltender Mathieu Garon. He has played so well in fact, that as backup goaltender, Garon should push Mason to be better.

Not only have the young guys been able to produce, but the veterans have played strong as well. In Monday night’s game against Minnesota, the first line tallied a total of seven points.

The line played with great chemistry and connected on an impressive tic-tac-toe play from Nash to Huselius to Brassard. Vermette has also played strong, adding a shorthanded goal to a 5-1 win over the Wild Monday night.

Unfortunately, the team has also experienced its fair share of injuries. In a 2-0 loss to Minnesota, Blue Jackets forward Jason Chimera was carried off the ice on a stretcher after being violently checked into the boards by Wild center Eric Belanger with just over six minutes remaining in the second period.

Left Winger Fredrick Modin has also sustained an injury that is expected to keep him out four to six weeks. Raffi Torres is out with back spasms.

The team faces off against Boston Tuesday night at Nationwide Arena.

Ohio Hockey Team Fights it Way to Victory

2009-09-21T20:28:00.002-04:00

After ending last season with a CSCHA Tournament Championship, the Bobcats opened the ’09-’10 season strong with two wins at home against Mercyhurst. The Bobcats took Friday night’s game 3-1 then followed it up with a 5-0 romping of the Lakers on Saturday night.

During the first period of play on Friday night, Mercyhurst stood strong behind the play of its freshman goaltender, but the Bobcats broke the game open with two goals in the third period.

With only few minutes gone by in the third, Ohio defenseman Mark Tracy took a pass from teammate Jimmy Irwin and flipped it over the goalies right shoulder pads and into the back of the net.

Minutes later, Steve Osacky positioned himself in front of the net and finished on a one-time pass from behind the goal by putting it top shelf behind the goaltender. The goal put the cap on what would be a 3-1 Ohio victory.

“The play had a perfect set-up,” Osacky said about the goal. “We had the puck down low and they had their backs to me, I was able to sneak in from behind and put it in the net.”

Game two of the series turned out to be even more eventful than the first. Again, Mercyhurst held strong behind the play of its freshman goaltender, and went to the break with a zero-zero tie.

The second period, however, was a different story. Mercyhurst took penalties early and often, which led to numerous opportunities for OU. Nine minutes into the second period, Ohio defenseman Zack Barbis carried the puck into the offensive zone and scored an unassisted power play goal over goaltender’s left shoulder pad. The goal was his second of the night.

OU lit the lamp again with 5:29 remaining making the score 3-0. With just over 3 minutes remaining, Mercyhurst’s Shane Vorndran took a five minute major boarding penalty which was followed by a tripping penalty by Mercyhurst’s Matt Leitzel about two minutes later.

The penalties led to a five on three man advantage for the Bobcats, which led to Barbis’ third goal of the night and a 4-0 second period lead for OU.

“I felt like I was in the zone,” said Barbis in a post-game interview. “I got some good opportunities I was able to capitalize on.”

OU put the icing on the cake with a fifth goal from forward Tyler Pilmore thirteen minutes into the final period of play.

With just over three minutes remaining in the game, a fight broke out between the teams, leading to many penalties and a couple game misconducts. Once the referees sorted everything out play was resumed.

A minute later, another brawl began when multiple Mercyhurst players dropped their gloves immediately after the faceoff and began throwing punches.

Even OU goaltender Paul Marshall got in on the action, and was eventually ejected. Sticks and gloves littered the ice as the helpless referees could do nothing but watch.

In the end, both teams received numerous game misconduct ejections and ended the game with multiple players in the penalty box.

When asked what his team needs to do better for next week, head coach Dan Morris responded by saying the team needs to improve its spacing in the corner, “We need to be able to find the open ice, we seem to tire ourselves out,” said the coach.

The Bobcats continue play next weekend at Bird Arena with a series against Youngstown State.

A Look at the KHL

2009-09-11T21:41:00.003-04:00

By now we’ve all heard about the Kontinental Hockey League, and their bid to land the Jackets 2008 first round pick Nikita Filatov. And although the Russian Super League has yet to have a direct impact on the Blue Jackets, there are a few former Jackets that have made the switch to the Russian league including Sergei Fedorov, Alexander Svitov, and potentially 2004 first round draft pick Nikolai Zherdev.

Although Russian professional hockey dates back to 1946, the KHL was founded in 2008. It is the successor to the RSL, or Russian Super League. The KHL currently has 24 teams, 21 of which are located within the Russian Federation.

There have been talks about expanding the league’s map and adding teams across Europe in order to establish itself as one of the world’s top leagues.

As the list of former NHL players in the KHL grows, which now features familiar names such as Jiri Hudler, Sergei Zubov, Joakim Lindstrom, and Richard Zednik, we are left wondering what type of impact the Russian League could have on the NHL.

One reason that the KHL has been able to woo away NHL free agents is because they have been able to offer tax free, incentive laden contracts worth more than what most NHL teams are willing to pay for a player.

Although the KHL has had some success tapping into the European pool of talent, they have had virtually no success in luring away American and Canadian born players.

The KHL has also had trouble corralling young NHL talent. With a few exceptions, the players that have made the switch overseas have mainly been older, past their prime players such as Fedorov and Zubov.

So unless the KHL can somehow begin luring away North American talent, which is unlikely considering concerns such as playing conditions, medical care, and Russian culture, the chances of the KHL overtaking the NHL as the world’s hockey power seem dim.

The KHL is a growing league which has had some success in acquiring talent, but how long can the KHL last by throwing inflated contracts in the face of washed up NHL players?

The fact of the matter is that the majority of the talent is in the NHL. The NHL is the big dog of professional hockey, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

Training camp begins September 12!

-T17M

Owners Fantasy Draft

2009-09-02T20:53:00.001-04:00

The Players are not going to be the only ones with a lot at stake when Blue Jackets training camp begins September 13, but the owners will as well.

On Tuesday night at a private function in Nationwide Arena, majority owner John P. McConnell and minority owners Ron Pizzuti, Jay Crane, and John F. Wolfe held a fantasy hockey draft in which they each drafted a 16-player team from the Blue Jacket’s training camp roster.

Each team was required to select three centers, seven wingers, and six defensemen. Goaltenders were not drafted but instead will be assigned to a team on a daily basis.

When asked for the motives behind the fantasy draft, Jacket’s head coach and brainchild of the draft Ken Hitchcock cited unequal opportunities in previous year’s camps, and an opportunity for players to meet owners as main reasons.

The rosters for each team were released, but the draft order and order in which players were selected was not. According to the Columbus Dispatch, the teams, broken down by forwards and defensemen, are as follows:

Team Wolfe

F:Rick Nash, Derek Mackenzie, Kristian Huselius, Tom Sestito, Michael Blunden, Jared Boll, Daniel Steiner, Andrew Clarck, Tim Miller, Jon Mirasty

D:Kris Russel, Mike Commodore, Grant Clitsome, David Savard, Tim Filangieri, Spencer McAvoy

Team Crane

F: Derick Brassard, Sammy Pahlson, Derek Dorsett, Pascal Pelletier, Trvor Frischmon, Tom Cavanagh, Matthew Calvert, Darren Archibald, Brock McBride, Zak Ray

D: Fedor Tyutin, John Moore, Mathieu Roy, Doug Lynch, David Liffiton, Dylan Reese

Team McConnell

F: Antoine Vermette, R.J. Umberger, Raffi Torres, Chris Higgins, Thomas Kubalik, Alexandre Picard, Stefan Legein, Andrew Aggozino, Kevin Harvey, Cass Mappin, Matt Caria

D: Jan Hejda, Rostislav Klesla, Brent Regner, Steven Delisle, Cam Brodie

Team Pizzuti

F: Jake Voracek, Nikita Filatov, Jason Chimera, Fredrik Modin, Jared Aulin, Maksim Mayorov, Andrew Murray, Scott Tanski, Ian Duval, Tayler Jordan, Tyler Murovich

D: Marc Methot, Jonathan Sigalet, Andrei Plekhanov, Kevin Roeder, Paul Bezzo

The teams will play a four-team playoff in which the winners of the first game advance to the championship match while the losers battle it out for third place.

The matchups are as follows:

September 13, 10:30 am

Team McConnell vs. Team Crane

September 13, 2 pm

Team Wolfe vs. Team Pizzuti

September 14, 10:30 am

Third Place Game

September 14, 2 pm

Championship Game

“It’s going to be good,” Hitchcock said. “It’ll be fun, and we’ll get a good evaluation.”

We know that it was a snake style draft in which the order reverses after each round. With that being said, we can only assume that Team Wolfe had the first selection since he has Rick Nash listed on his roster. Other than that though, the rest of it is pretty unclear.

I’ll let you decided who has the best team.

-T17M

Thirty-Nine Days, and Counting

2009-08-25T15:25:00.006-04:00

It’s been four long months since we last watched our beloved Blue Jackets suit up and take the ice, and while we’ve been able to witness our Ohio baseball teams stumble to the finish line, it just cannot compare to the thrills of hockey.

So far, the off-season has been brutal. Other than a couple days in late June and early July, things have been pretty quiet around the league. Significant news has been few and far between, and the same few rumors about Zubov, Kaberle, and Heatley all ran their course and and eventually fizzled.

It’s been a long four months, but fear not Jackets fans, hockey is on the way.

The turn from summer to autumn means two things in Columbus Ohio: college football, and Blue Jackets hockey. So as the first pre-season game nears, here is your update on all things CBJ.

It has been reported that Antoine Vermette is interested in re-upping with the Jackets and talks between the two sides have begun. The talented winger is coming off a year in which he tallied 13 points in only 17 games with the club. Negotiations are said to be in the primary stages.

Word from Russia is that rookie phenom Nikita Filatov has been training along side IIyl Kovalchuk of the Atlanta Thrashers and former Blue Jacket, now KHLer Nik Zherdev. Filatov is preparing to make his debut as a full time Blue Jacket in 2009 after a productive few games in ‘08. The human highlight reel will be fighting for a spot along one of the top lines once training camp begins in a couple weeks.

Rick Nash practiced along side Sidney Crosby and Jerome Iginla on the first line for Team Canada on Monday. The other four lines looked like this:

Brenden Morrow-Mike Richards-Dany Heatley 

Eric Staal-Joe Thornton-Corey Perry

Milan Lucic-Vincent Lecavalier-Jeff Carter 

Simon Gagne-Jonathan Toews-Martin St. Louis

Steve Mason is one of five goalies invited to Team Canada’s training camp in Calgary looking to earn one of three spots on the final roster. However, the 21 year old is up against some steep competition in veterans Roberto Luongo, Martin Brodeur, Marc-Andre Fleury and Cam Ward.

Mason led Team Canada to a gold medal at the world junior championships in 2008.

Jacket’s coach Ken Hitchkock is also in Calgary as an assistant coach under head coach Mike Babcock.

R.J. Umberger is also still in the mix for a spot on an Olympic roster. After being snubbed off the original list of 34 orientation camp invitees, Umberger, along with 40 others, is under consideration for a roster spot on Team USA pending an Olympic sanctioned drug test. A player's performance in the first three months of the season will weigh heavily in the selection process said Team USA General Manager Brian Burke.

On Tuesday the Blue Jackets confirmed their new ECHL affiliate, the Gwinnett Gladiators. "We are very excited to add Gwinnett as our ECHL partner for this upcoming season," Blue Jackets Assistant General Manager Chris MacFarland said in a release on Tuesday.

The Gladiators, located in Duluth Georgia, are also affiliated with the Atlanta Thrashers, which is common at this level. Columbus affiliated with the Dayton Bombers from 2000-2007, but are now with their forth team in four years since ‘07 after switching to the Elmira Jackals in 2007-08 and the Johnstown Chiefs last season.

The Columbus Chamber has commissioned a study of how to make the Blue Jackets economically viable after the team announced it had lost $80 million over the past seven years, reported the Columbus Dispatch.

The study will be conducted by former Ohio State professor of finance Steven Buser, and could be completed by early fall.

The intent of the study is to list other practical options to help the team make it back into the black.

Single game tickets go on sale Thursday September 3^rd at 10pm.

It’s been a long summer, but hang in there Jackets fans, because training camp is only 17 days away.

Jackets, Indians Team Up

2009-08-20T14:52:00.007-04:00

In an effort to reach a larger fan base, The Columbus Blue Jackets have teamed up with the Cleveland Indians, the Jackets announced via the website on Tuesday.The Ohio based franchises unveiled a plan in which they

would share advertising and promote special ticket offers at each team’s events. The deal makes sense with Cleveland’s AAA affiliate Columbus Clippers right next door to Nationwide Arena.

To kick off the partnership, Blue Jackets Hockey to Go will visit Progressive Field this Sunday, August 23, prior to the Indians 1:05 game against the Seattle Mariners. The exhibit will include an inflatable slap shot cage, team ticket and promotional information and special giveaways reported the Blue Jackets official website.

Also, on Sunday September 6, Blue Jackets goaltender and Calder Memorial Trophy winner Steve Mason will throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the Tribe’s game with the Minnesota Twins. Mason will also be on hand to sign autographs before the game.

Expect to see the same type of promotions for the Indians at Nationwide Arena once the season begins.

The Jackets also recently announced that single game regular season tickets will go on sale beginning Thursday, September 3at 10 am.

On Wednesday, the NHL released the list of nationally televised games for the upcoming 2009-2010 season. The Jackets are listed twice, both times appearing on Versus against Central Division foes.

Their first appearance will be on Tuesday, December 1 against the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center, and then again on Monday, December 28 at home against Detroit.

This is good news for Jackets fans since these games were two of the seven total games not scheduled to air on FSN Ohio.

Filatov Looks to Make Impact in '09

2009-08-13T13:07:00.002-04:00

After being selected sixth overall by the Blue Jackets at the 2008 entry draft and tallying four goals in only eight games for the Jackets last year, Nikita Filatov looks to make the big club for good in 2009.

Jackets fans have great expectations for the Russian wonder kid in 2009, after he awed them with his skillful play in limited minutes in ’08-’09, including his January 10 hat trick against the Minnesota Wild.

Many sites have tabbed Filatov as a potential Calder Trophy finalist as the league’s top rookie, as well the top remaining prospect out of the 2008 entry draft and a steal for the Jackets at number six.

In 39 games with AHL Syracuse, Filatov posted 16 goals and 16 assists for 32 total points. Also, as captain of Russia’s world junior team, Filatov scored 12 goals and 8 assists in 14 games at the World Junior Championships between 2008 and 2009.

Most expect Filatov to make the team this year, but the question is where the human highlight reel will line up.

The Jackets have a plethora of talent at left wing, Filatov’s natural position, making for a bit of a traffic jam. Going into camp, Huselius, Umberger, and either Torres or Chimera look to hold the top three left wing spots. Meaning, Filatov may be pushed back to the fourth line.

We can say almost with certainty that Filatov will not line up along the third line as it is your traditional checking line. So for Nikita to crack the top three lines, he would have to earn a position along one of the top two.

There a few ways this could happen: the most obvious of them being if he flat out earns it. We have seen rookies line up on the top two lines in the past, and if this kid is as good as they say, we may see him replace a struggling veteran at the top.

Another way would be through injury. If one of the guys ahead of him went down, Filatov could fill in nicely. Now although his natural position is at left wing, it is possible we could see him line up on the right side if need be.

A position change for a superstar like Filatov would not be unheard of in Columbus; captain Rick Nash currently resides on the right although his natural position is also on the left.

There is also the possibility of a trade making some room for Filatov along the top two lines. If the Jackets are going to make a move for a scoring defenseman, it is likely the trade bait would be from the pool of left-wingers.

Although it would likely be a winger, we can almost rule out Huselius and Umberger as trade material because of large contracts and team commitments.

So if Filatov makes the team, which we expect him to, he will most likely start out on the fourth line with the possibility of climbing up the ranks, as did Voracek and Brassard a year ago.

Fire The Cannon writers Eric Smith and Bart Logan discuss this issue and more in this week’s podcast available on iTunes and at FireTheCannon.com.

A Second Look

2009-08-05T15:18:00.003-04:00

There was a great article in The Columbus Dispatch on Tuesday regarding last summer’s Tyutin and Backman for Zherdev and Fritcshe trade. The article took a look at what those players have done since then, and which team got the better of the trade.

It got me thinking about some other noteworthy trades in Jackets history and how they turned out. Here, The Seventeenth Member takes a second look at five significant trades in Blue Jacket’s history and their results.

June 22, 2002: With the Columbus Blue Jackets poised to pick at number three in the 2002 entry draft, the Jackets traded up two spots to number one to acquire current all-star and captain Rick Nash. In exchange, Florida received the number three overall pick, and an option to swap picks in the 2003 draft.

With the third pick, the Panthers selected defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, currently of the Calgary Flames. Bouwmeester bounced around between the NHL club and minor league affiliate San Antonio during his first five years after being drafted, tallying a total of six goals and 30 assists in 143 games.

In the ’05-’06 season however, Bouwmeester put up bigger numbers, scoring five goal and posting 41 assists for a 46 point effort. Jay has 53 career goals, and 150 assist for 203 career points.

On the verge of becoming an unrestricted free agent, the two-time all-star Bouwmeester was traded to the Calgary Flames on June 27, 2009.

Rick Nash had an immediate impact on the Blue Jackets organization as he scored a goal in his first career NHL game on October 10, 2002. Since then, Nash has been a machine; improving his numbers nearly every year he has been in the league, culminating in a 79 point performance in ‘09.

Nash has 194 career goals, and 161 assists for a total of 355 career points in 441 games. Nash is also a four-time NHL All-Star, Maurice Rocket Richard Trophy winner as the leagues top goal scorer and 2009 NHL Foundation Player of the Year.

Nov. 15, 2005: The Blue Jackets acquire six-time All-Star Sergei Fedorov and a fifth round pick in the 2006 entry draft from Anaheim in exchange for Tyler Wright, Francois Beauchemin.

In 25 games with Anaheim, Wright scored two goals and two assists for a total of four points. He did not play another season in the NHL and currently works as a development coach for the Blue Jackets.

Beauchemin on the other hand, was a lot more productive. In 234 games with the Ducks, Beauchemin recorded 23 goals and 67 assists and was a big piece in the Ducks Stanley Cup Championship in 2007. Beauchemin signed a three-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 6, 2009 as a free agent.

In three seasons with the Blue Jackets, Fedorov tallied 39 goals and 74 assists for a total of 113 points. On February 26, 2008, the Jackets dealt Fedorov to Washington for draft pick Ted Ruth.

With the fifth round pick in the ’06 draft, the Jackets selected Defenseman and Dereck Brassard’s Drummondville Voltigeur teammate Maxime Frechette, currently with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the QMJHL.

June 30, 2006: The Blue Jackets acquire a pair of Fredriks in forward Fredrik Modin and goaltender Fredrik Norrena from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for goaltender Marc Denis.

In 50 games played with the Lightning, Denis compiled an 18-23-2 record with a 3.62 goals against average and a .871 save percentage. Denis was released by the Lightning on June 24, 2008 and currently resides with Montreal’s AHL affiliate the Hamilton Bulldogs.

In three seasons with the Blue Jackets, Fredrik Modin has appeared in 163 games, recording 37 goals and 42 assists. Lately, his production has been on the decline due to injuries, but as alternate captain, Modin still remains an important part of the club.

When Pascal Leclaire went down with injuries during the ’06-’07 season, Fredrik Norrena stepped into the starting goaltender position. In 55 games that year, Norrena tallied a 24-23-3 record with a .904 save percentage and a 2.78 goals against. The next year, he played the role of backup, appearing in 37 games, but with the emergence of Steve Mason in 2008, Norrena was waived by the Jackets and eventually signed with Linköpings HC of the Swedish Elite League.

June 20, 2008: In a trade that brought the first ever former Ohio State Buckeye to the Blue Jackets, the CBJ acquired center R.J. Umberger and a fourth round pick at the 2008 entry draft from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for first and third round picks in 2008.

With that first round, 19^th overall pick, the Flyers selected Luca Sbisa of Italy. He appeared in 39 games with the Flyers this past season, scoring no goals but tallying seven assists. At the ’09 entry draft, Sbisa was traded along with Joffrey Lupul and Philadelphia’s 2009 and 2010 first round picks to Anaheim for Chris Pronger and Ryan Dingle.

With the third round selection, the Flyers picked Marc-Andre Bourdon from the Rouyn-Noranda Huslies of the QMJHL. Bourdon has yet to appear in an NHL game.

In one full year with the Blue Jackets, Umberger recorded his best NHL season yet, scoring 26 goals and adding 20 assists for a total of 46 points. He also added three playoff goals in four games, scoring the franchise’s first ever playoff goal in a 4-1 loss at Detroit.

With the fourth round pick, the Jackets selected high school senior Drew Olson.

In one year with the Omaha Lancers of the USHL, Olson scored two goals and added six assists for eight total points in 39 games.

July 1, 2008: The Blue Jackets acquire Raffi Torres from Edmonton in exchange for former first round pick Gilbert Brulé.

With just nine points in 61 games played during the ’07-’08 season, the former first rounder seemed expendable. During the ’08-’09 season, Brulé appeared in 11 games with the Oilers after being called up from AHL affiliate Springfield. With the big club, Brulé chalked up two goals and one assist. In the remaining 39 games with Springfield, he scored 13 and helped on 11 for 24 total points.

In 51 games in ’08-’09, Raffi Torres was productive for the Jackets. Although he scored only 12 goals and tallied eight assists, it was the timing and significance of the goals that made him valuable. Six of Raffi’s 12 goals were game winners, and a Torres goal almost always lead to a Blue Jackets victory.

So who came out on top in each of these trades? That’s for you to decide.

-T17M

Fantasy Football Preview – Ohio Edition

2009-07-26T22:19:00.006-04:00

Here at The Seventeenth Member, our knowledge is not only limited to real sports, but also extends into the fantasy realm of sports as well. Thus your 2009 fantasy football preview; the Ohio edition.

The Cleveland Browns:

At first glance it appears there is not much fantasy upside to this team, and under more evaluation, that’s probably still the truth. We’ll take a look at some of the more known and lesser known guys and tell you who to take a chance on, and who to stay away from.

QB Brady Quinn/Derek Anderson – Your best bet is probably to stay away from both of these guys. The potential is there, but the fantasy numbers may not be. With new head coach Eric Mangini coming in, it is likely the Browns will run a conservative offense no matter who is under center. There are plenty other starting quarterbacks out there; you may have to pass on these two.

WR Braylon Edwards – After catching 16 TD passes in 2007, Edwards disappointed us all with only three in 2008, and none after week nine. He also led the league in drops with 16. I’m predicting a better year for Edwards in ’09 (how could I not), but probably not as good as his ’07 totals. He is just too talented of a receiver to put up numbers like last year again, no matter who is throwing him the ball.

RB Jamal Lewis – After watching his yards per carry take a pretty steep drop off in ’08, Lewis may be hard pressed to put up worthy fantasy numbers in 2009. He is sure to get a lot of carries in the new Mangenious offense, if he remains the starter that is. With his 30^th birthday approaching this August, the question is how much the ole man has left in the tank.

RB Jerome Harrison – The kid looked promising coming out of Washington State, but has been sitting and waiting for his chance for the past three years without seeing much of the field. With Lewis in his current physical state, could this be the year Harrison finally gets to show his stuff?

RB James Davis – Same story as Harrison, could be good if given the chance, but with a crowded backfield, the question is whether that chance will ever come. I would categorize Davis as more of a wait and see guy.

Cincinnati Bengals:

After an abysmal 2008 season for Bengals fantasy owners, Bengals players look to make a bit more of an impact in ’09 but heading into camp, there may be more questions surrounding this team than answers.

QB Carson Palmer – After missing all but four games of the 2008 season, Palmer returns for ’09. In his four starts, Palmer looked, well less than flattering. With his favorite target T.J. Houshmandzadeh making a new home in Seattle, Palmer will need his other recievers to step up to the plate. We’re predicting Palmer backup in smaller leagues and boarderline starter in deeper leagues.

WR Chad Ochocinco – The man formally known as Johnson will look to rebound after a 53 catches for 540 yards and four touchdowns performance in ’08. His numbers should improve with his buddy Carson throwing to him instead of backup Ryan Fitzpatrick, but we don’t expect to see a return to his phenominal’06 and ’07 numbers. We see him as a good number two or three receiver depending on deep your league is in 2009.

WR Laveranues Coles – A great red-zone receiver, Coles hauled in seven TD’s in ’08. We expect similar touchdown numbers in ’09. He is no Houshmandzadeh but he should produce decent numbers. Probably a number three receiver in most leagues.

WR Chris Henry – Henry scored 15 touchdowns in his first two years in the league, but since then, he has more news off the field than on it, pilling up more arrests than touchdowns. He is probably going to be the third receiver in Cincinnati and probably doesn’t hold much fantasy value unless we see him step into one of the top receiver spots.

RB Cedric Benson – Benson has been disappointing fantasy owners ever since he came into the league. Plain and simple, we expect this year to be no different. Maybe a good number three back, or he could look nice on your bench.

-T17M

Deadline Decisions

2009-07-24T16:22:00.004-04:00

No, i didn't forget about America's pastime, it's just that Ohio baseball in July hasn't been nearly as interesting as hockey in July...but without further ado, baseball returns to The 17th Member.

With their recent three game sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers and the division rival St. Louis Cardinals acquiring left fielder Matt Holiday from the Oakland A's, the Cincinnati Reds have managed to bury themselves near the bottom of the NL Central without much hope of making the playoffs.

Now, would it be impossible for the Reds to all the sudden learn how to hit and climb their way back into the playoff chase; no, but is it likely; not really. Thus leads to the conclusion that the Reds should be sellers, not buyers at the trade deadline.

So, who should the Reds ship off to the real contenders? The Seventeenth Member breaks it down. Here are some possibilities:

Catcher Ramon Hernandez: There are many contenders out there that could use a veteran catcher with the skill set of Hernandez. With the emergance of Ryan Hanigan, Hernandez is an expendable asset to the Redlegs. The rookie Hanigan is batting .313 in 60 games and has performed very well behind the plate.

RHP Francisco Cordero: As Dayton Daily News writer Hal McCoy correctly stated about the subject, "Who needs a closer when there aren't any important games to close?" The Reds owe Cordero $25M over the next two seasons.

RHP David Weathers: The 39 year old veteran has been reliable all season posting a 2.97 ERA in 38 appearances.

LHP Author Rhodes: Like Weathers, Rhodes is a 39 year old veteran who has pitched well all season. Plus, he's a lefty, who would want to add that to their pen?

RHP Aaron Harang: He's supposedly the ace of the staff, but the Reds haven't won with him yet and he's due to make $12.5M next season.

RHP Bronson Arroyo: Same story as Harang. Got $12.5M coming his way in 2010 as well. That's a lot of money the Reds could spend somewhere else.

It's pretty clear that the Reds are not going to win this year. But with names like Joey Votto, Johnny Cueto, Edinson Volquex, Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce, the team's first winning season in fourteen years may not be too far down the road.

“I’m just looking for what is the best way to improve the club, Said General Manager Walt Jocketty. "I will not do anything that is going to be short-term. It has to be something to help the team down the road.”

If Jocketty is able to free up some salary and add some young guys to complement the guys previously mentioned, the Reds could be a contender for years to come. For now, we wait.

Jackets Avoid Arbitration

2009-07-22T16:24:00.002-04:00

After arbitration seemed very likely as late as Wednesday morning, the Columbus Blue Jackets managed to avoid it when the team re-signed restricted free agent defenseman Marc Methot to a two-year, $2.025 million contract.

The deal will pay Methot $975,000 in ’09-’10 and $1.05M in ’10-’11, The Seventeenth Member has learned. Howson acknowledged the deal as an accomplishment to get a player they really like under contract.

This morning, all reports were that this was headed to arbitration. “There’s a huge gap,” GM Scott Howson said after reviwing the brief given by Methot’s agent, Larry Kelly. “I expect this to go to arbitration based on the positions put forward by the two of us.”

Both parties had already flown to Toronto to prepare for the hearing when the deal was struck.

This marks the third time a Blue Jackets player has filed for arbitration, the team has been able avoid the hearing all three times.

In other news, the Blue Jackets also re-signed restricted free agent Mike Blunden to a one-year, two-way contract. He will be invited to training camp with a shot at earning the center spot on the Jacket’s forth line.

Jackets, Methot Close to Hearing

2009-07-21T13:08:00.003-04:00

For the first time in their nine-year history, the Columbus Blue Jackets could be forced to attend an arbitration hearing later this week.

Jackets defenseman, and restricted free agent Marc Methot, is scheduled to have his case heard Thursday morning in Toronto unless the two sides can agree on a contract, the Columbus Dispatch reports.

Methot’s agent, Larry Kelly, and Blue Jackets General Manager Scott Howson have both stated that their side would like to avoid the hearing if possible.

With the player demanding more money and the team telling him why he does not deserve it, arbitration hearings have never been considered a good way to build a strong relationship between team and player.

"I'm hoping we can settle up before the hearing," Methot said. "The Blue Jackets are a team that I really want to be a part of, obviously.

"This is the way the business is set up, though. If we do go to a hearing, hopefully we'll come out of it happy and forget about (what was said) and go on with this coming season. That's what I plan to do if it comes to that."

Methot was a solid contributor for the Jackets last season, totaling 4 + 13 =17 with a plus 7 rating and an average ice time of over 17 minutes. These numbers mean he will likely receive a raise from the estimated $500,000 he made last year.

Negotiations between the two sides will continue up until the hearing in effort to avoid it. If a deal is not forthcoming by Wednesday afternoon, both groups will fly to Toronto.

If that is the case, and a hearing is needed, the Jackets will have 48 hours to accept the decision or decline, thus making Methot an unrestricted free agent.

Only two other Blue Jackets, defenseman Jamie Pushor and winger Jason Chimera, have ever filed for arbitration.

The team came to terms quickly with Chimera, nearly two weeks before the hearing, but did not get a deal done with Pushor until they were standing outside the doors of the meeting room the morning of the hearing.

It is clear that both sides want to get this done. Expect the two parties to settle on a deal, if not before the hearing, than after.

Jackets Release '09-'10 Schedule

2009-07-15T16:34:00.003-04:00

After the most celebrated season in franchise history, the Columbus Blue Jackets will open the 2009-10 season at home against the Minnesota Wild on October 3, the club officially announced on Wednesday.

The ’09-‘10 season is one that will start a week earlier due to the sixteen-day Olympic break in February, and sees the Jackets play more Saturday night games than ever before.

Following the home opener at Nationwide Arena, the Jackets will play three straight road games at Vancouver, San Jose, and Phoenix. The team will head out west again on October 20 for an extended road trip that includes stops in Calgary, Edmonton, Anaheim, and LA.

The Jackets will face the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins at home on October 30, then head to Washington to face Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals in the nation’s capital on November 1.

Wednesday November 11 marks the first game against the Detroit Red Wings, at home in the friendly confines of Nationwide Arena.

Later that month, the Jackets will be all over the map with their longest road trip of the season beginning November 19in Dallas and ending the 26^th in Ottawa to face the Senators. Along the way, the team will make stops in Nashville, New York to face the Rangers, and Montreal.

In December, the CBJ will play back-to-back games against the defending Western Conference Champion Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena on the 26^th and then back here at Nationwide on the 28^th. The Jackets will conclude 2009 with a New Years Eve game in Columbus against Nashville.

The month of January may be one of the toughest months of the season for the CBJ with nine road games and only six at home. The month includes a home and home with division rival Chicago on the 14^th and 16^th, and sends the Jackets to Boston for a game against the Bruins on the 21^st.

February, which is shortened because of the Olympic break, has only six games on the schedule including five straight at home before the sixteen-day break beginning the 15^th.

Columbus will play eight at home and six on the road during the playoff push in March, then will end the regular season with three games against Detroit in April culminating in the final game of the year at home verse the Red Wings on the 9^th.

Eastern Conference foes on the schedule include the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins, a home and home with the Washington Capitals, as well as games against the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, and Ottawa Senators.

The Jackets have a schedule that sees them playing away from home a lot early in the season, but allows them to play more home games down the stretch. With the way the schedule is set up, early season road trips could be pivotal in determining where the Jackets are positioned come the post-season.

For the complete schedule, visit www.bluejackets.com.

White House Goes Black and Gold

2009-07-14T12:20:00.005-04:00

The Columbus Crew were honored by President Obama on Monday for their excellence both on and off the field. In a ceremony that took place in the Rose Garden at the White House, the president praised the team for their hard work in the community and on the soccer field.

"We thank them for participating in out United We Serve summer of service, said the president. "Just last week the Crew spent time with young people in Columbus cleaning up some of the low-income neighborhoods near Crew Stadium, that kind of spirit of service is what this white house wants to encourage in all citizens but seeing it from professional athletes is especially gratifying."

Obama also praised the Crew's fans noting that he heard that they were some of the best, making Crew Stadium one of the toughest places to play. In a nod towards his hometown, he went on to say that the Chicago Fire had some pretty good fans as well.

"It's clear that soccer in America is on the rise - and that MLS is a big part of that," the president said.

Present coach Robert Warzycha, as well as former coach Sigi Schmidt were on hand for the ceremony, along with former players Ezra Hendrickson, now a Seattle assistant, Sounders midfielder Brad Evans and Colorado forward Pat Noonan who recieved their rings outside the White House.

" A lot of us are in awe a bit," Captain Frankie Hejduk said. Warzycha chimed in saying that he would like to come back for another visit next year, with another championship team.

Crew to Visit White House

2009-07-08T21:56:00.004-04:00

After winning the 2008 MLS Cup, the Columbus Crew have been formally invited to visit the White House by President Barack Obama.

The team will fly to D.C. this coming Monday and take a tour of the White House before spending 20-30 minutes with the president.

"We're excited," said captain Frankie Hejduk. "Not too many sports teams get to do that. Only the champions. It's an honor for us to be there and represent the Crew to the nation. Everyone's been hoping that we would get to do it. Any time you can wear your championship ring to the White House and get your picture taken with the president is a huge honor."

Later, the team will participate in a cleanup project around D.C. as part of Obama's new "United We Serve" initiative similar to what they did around Crew Stadium on Wednesday.

Seattle Sounder's, and former Crew head coach Sigi Schmid, as well as former Crew players Brad Evans, Ezra Hendrickson, Stefani Miglioranzi and Pat Noonan have been invited to attend.

"I'm just happy to be able to see the White House and the president, said head coach Robert Warzycha."That's something special for everybody."

McElligott to Join Matthews in Booth

2009-07-07T21:28:00.002-04:00

Long time Syracuse Crunch play-by-play announcer Bob McElligott will join George Matthews in the radio booth next season the Columbus Blue Jackets announced on Tuesday.

McElligott, who called games for the Crunch for the past ten years, will replace Bill Davidge as color commentator alongside George Matthew beginning next season. Davidge was moved to the television set along side Jeff Rimer.

The pairing of Matthews and McElligott is an interesting one considering both broadcasters are play-by-play men, but Blue Jackets Vice President of Marketing Marc Gregory expects McElligott to be a good fit for the position, “Bob is an experienced broadcaster who brings great versatility to our on-air team and we are very pleased to welcome him to the Blue Jackets organization,” said Gregory in a press release. “Having spent the past 10 years with the Crunch, he knows our team and league personnel very well and is an ideal fit for this position.”

McElligott is experienced calling Jacket’s games as he has filled in for Matthews several times in the past eight years. In addition, he also produced a regular Crunch feature for the Blue Jackets Radio Network.

As well as serving as color commentator in the booth, McElligott will act as a host on both the radio pre- and post-game shows and be a regular contributor on BlueJackets.com features such as Jackets TV.

In addition to the Crunch, the Pennsylvania native has also served as the radio and television voice of the Syracuse Chiefs, the current International Baseball League affiliate of the Washington Nationals. According to BlueJackets.com, McElligott has “also has been a morning sports anchor on Syracuse radio stations WSEN-FM, WFBL-AM and WOLF-FM since 2004 and has broadcast Syracuse University football and basketball games for ESPN 360, as well as a variety of college and high school sports for Time Warner Cable.”

The Jackets are still looking to fill the broadcasting position left vacant by former pre- and post-game host Jim Day.

Nash Locked Up for Eight More Years

2009-07-06T21:40:00.002-04:00

The most important task of the off-season for the Columbus Blue Jackets was checked off the to-do list Friday night when the Jackets resigned Captain Rick Nash to an eight year, $64.2 million extension.

The deal has Nash earning $7.5 million in 2010-'11, and raises each year until it peaks at $8.2 million in 2017-'18. He currently has one year remaining in his previous contract in which he will make $7 million.

"It's a very fair number," said Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson. "(Nash) made a statement to the team and the city that he's not out for the last dollar. He wanted to have a fair contract that allows us the flexibility to build the team around him." Nash's Agent Joe Resnick stated that "Rick did not want to go unrestricted," He continued, "He believes in what they're doing in Columbus. He believes in his teammates. He truly loves the city."

Nash is the Jackets all-time leading goal scorer with 194 goals in his six seasons. He is also the leader in points with 355 in 441 career games. He was selected by Columbus first overall in 2002, after the Jackets traded up to get him. In 2003-'04, Nash became the youngest player to lead the league in goals, with 41, and shared the Maurice Rocket Richard Trophy as the league's top goal scorer with Calgary's Jarome Iginla and Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk.

Jackets Ink Pahlsson, Garon

2009-07-01T19:41:00.004-04:00

The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed center Samuel Pahlsson to a three year contract announced team General Manager Scott Howson on Wednesday. Pahlsson is a nine year NHL vetern who has tallied 54 goals, and 92 assists for 146 points in 557 career games with Boston, Anaheim, and Chicago.

With the futures of Manny Malhotra, and Michael Peca unclear, Pahlsson fills a gaping need for the Jackets at the center position.

"Sami Pahlsson is a very good two-way center who can play against the top players in the league and strengthens our hockey club at the center ice position," said Howson. "He won a Stanley Cup with Anaheim two years ago, played in the Finals in 2003 and won a gold medal with Sweden at the last Olympics, so he brings valuable experience at the highest level of competition to our dressing room."

In the '06-'07 season in which he won the Cup with the Ducks, Pahlsson was a finalsit for the Frank J. Selke Trophy, awarded annually to the league's top defensive forward.

The club now has Derrick Brassard, Antione Vermette, and Samuel Pahlsson at the center position for the upcoming season.

The Jackets have also announced that they have inked former Pittsburgh goaltender Mathieu Garon to a two-year contract. The 30 year old goalie has compiled a 94-83-13 record in 204 career games. Garon has a 2.84 goals-against average and .905 save percentage with the Canadians, Kings Oilers, and Penguins.

Garon will likely serve as a backup to starting goaltender and 2009 Calder Memorial Trophy winner Steve Mason.

"One of our priorities this off-season was to sign an experienced goaltender to team with Steve Mason and by adding Mathieu Garon we have done that," said Howson. "Mathieu has been a successful goaltender in this league and we think he will be an important addition to our organization."

Development Camp Underway

2009-07-01T15:22:00.003-04:00

Monday marked the beginning of development camp for the Columbus Blue Jackets. About 35 players attended in all, including draft picks from ’06 to ’09, as well as many free agents that were invited to participate.

The camp is open to the public, and although the ice was crowded with players and coaches, much attention was focused on the Jacket’s 2009 first round pick John Moore.

Throughout the first two days of camp, Moore has been frequently positioned along side Notre Dame product Theo Ruth, who was acquired during the ’07-’08 season from the Washington Capitals in exchange for veteran Sergei Fedorov. So far, the two have looked good together, creating numerous chances in front of the net and playing fast shutdown defense.

“It’s exciting. I need to work that much harder every day, said Moore. Right now that’s my biggest goal, to get bigger and stronger and hopefully be a part of that moving forward.”

"We all love his attitude and disposition," said head coach Ken Hitchcock speaking of Moore. "His foot speed gets him out of so much trouble all the time. He's able to get up the ice, he can maneuver away from people.

Five of the six Jackets draftees at the 2009 draft were present on Tuesday. Sixth round pick Anton Blomqvist of Sweden was the only one that did not participate. New goaltenders coach Dave Rook was also present at camp working with goalies Kevin Lalande and Allen York. Rook spent the draft weekend with his former team, the St. Louis Blues, before being allowed begin work with the Jackets.

Lalande, who was acquired from Calgary at the March 4th trade deadline last season, was very impressive in his time with Syracuse posting a 2.27 GAA and a .927 save percentage. He and Dan LaCosta will likely compete for the third goalie spot on the roster in the upcoming year.

Although many of the guys have looked good so far, development coach Tyler Wright says they still have a few things to learn. “These kids are all young, they're all naive," said Wright. "They have an understanding that they think they’re ready for the NHL and what it takes. "When you get it in their mind that you have to multiply that by about 100, then they’ll figure it out."

Another story that arose during camp was the exclusion of Blue Jackets forward R.J. Umberger from the list of players invited to U.S. Olympic hockey orientation camp in August. The list includes 19 forwards, many of which, appear to be less qualified than Umberger.

“For him not to be in a group that big..I disagree with it,” said Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson.

Although he was not included on the original list, it is still a possibility he could receive an invite as the games approach come November or December. "It's something you dream of, representing your country in the Olympics," Umberger said. "I would definitely go if I were asked.

In other news, The Crunch recently signed forward Brock McBride. The 22-year-old enforcer played eight games last season for AHL Hartford notching four assists.

Cruising Crew

2009-06-29T22:43:00.004-04:00

After falling to FC Dallas 2-1 last saturday, the Columbus Crew were able to get back on the winning track Saturday night against New York in what was a rematch of last season MLS Cup Final.

The Crew took a 1-nil lead in the first half on a goal headed in by defender Chad Marshall and were able to hang on to lead for the rest of the game. With the win, the Black and Gold climbed within one point of first place D.C. in the Eastern Conference standings.

The goal was the second of the season for Marshall, and the third assist for Guillermo Barros Schelotto. The win extended the Crew's home unbeaten streak to eighteen games, and also marked the return of Goalie William Hesmer and captain Frankie Hejduk to the lineup after both missed an extend amount of time.

Before the game, the club recieved their 2008 championship rings commerating their 3-1 win over the Red Bulls in the MLS Cup Final last November. Now, the Crew are finally starting to look like the team that claimed those rings last fall.

The Crew will face Rochester of the USL in Open Cup play on Tuesday. It is the first time Columbus has participated in the cup since 2006. The Black and Gold won the cup back in 2002 when they defeated Los Angeles 1-nil at Crew Stadium.

The Crew will return to league play July 4th against D.C. United in Columbus.

Reds Defend Cup

2009-06-28T21:57:00.005-04:00

With an 8-1 victory Sunday afternoon at Progressive Field in Cleveland, the Cincinnati Reds were able to claim their second straight Ohio Cup, and more importantly, take four of six games from the Indians.

After losing game one to the Tribe on Friday night, the Redlegs were able to take the final two games in the series culminating in the win Sunday afternoon. The return of Joey Votto to the lineup had a positive impact on the team as Red's hitters torched Indian's pitching for eight runs on fifteen hits. It was a sign of life for a offense that has been struggling as of late.

Brandon Phillips did work against his former team, going 3-5 with three runs and three RBI.

Hernandez and Taveras also both went 3-5 with Hernandez adding three RBI of his own. Micah Owings improved to 5-8 with the win, pitching six innings and allowing one earned run while David Huff was credited with the loss for the Tribe, going five innings allowing six earned runs.

Since the reinstatement of the Ohio Cup in 2008, the Reds have gone 9-3 against the Indians, claiming the cup both years. With the win, the Reds were able to push their all-time record against Cleveland to 31-32 and ran their all-time interleague record to 83-104.

In other news, the Indians traded away third baseman Mark DeRossa to St. Louis in exchange for right-handed reliever Chris Perez and a player to be named later. Perez, who will turn 24 on Jult 1st, is 1-1 with a 4.18 ERA and one save in 29 appearances with the Cardinals.

Welcome to Cleveland

2009-06-27T15:28:00.005-04:00

After much speculation , it is official; Shaquille O'Neal is now a Cavalier. Cleveland acquired the future Hall of Famer from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, their 2nd round pick at the 2010 entry draft along with cash considerations.

In the 37 year old center, the Cavs receive the dominant inside presence they lacked last year. In the conference finals loss to the Orlando Magic, Orlando big man Dwight Howard pounded the Cleveland forwards for 40 points and 14 rebounds in the deciding game of the series.

O'Neal is a fifteen time All-Star, and a four time world champion. Since being the first selection in the 1992 NBA Draft to the Orlando Magic, he has average 24.7 points, 11.2 rebounds in 1117 career games.

It appears to be a good deal for Cleveland because they didn't give up much to get him. Ben Wallace has been frequently injured lately and even hinted at retirement after the Cavaliers third round loss to the Magic. Pavlovic wasn't seeing much playing time with the Cavs and will be a better fit in Phoenix's offense. For Phoenix, the deal provides much needed relief from O'Neal's multi-million dollar salary.

For the first time in his career, LeBron James will get to play with a player as well known as himself. The two stars relationship goes back to James' playing days at St. Vincent-St. Mary where Shaquille attended games to watch LeBron play.

“It is a really unique and rare opportunity to bring in a player of Shaq's caliber," said GM Danny Ferry. "We are excited to see how his presence, experience and play positively impacts our team. We truly appreciate all that Ben and Sasha gave to this team and community in their time here. They were good teammates and we wish them nothing but success.”

Shaq has only one year remaining on his contract, but according to his Twitter, he does not plan to retire after the '09-'10 season. "My numbers are not good enough to retire 3 more yrs left," he tweeted.

John Moore

2009-06-26T22:50:00.004-04:00

After trading away the 16th and 26th picks, the Jackets finally decided to pick at slot number twenty-one on Friday night at the 2009 NHL entry draft in Montreal. With that pick, the Jackets selected defenseman John Moore out of Chicago.

Earlier this year, Moore was named United States Hockey League Defensman of the Year. Moore scored 14 goals and posted 25 assists for 39 points with the Chicago Steel last season. He was also forth among defenseman in goals.

The club was originally in place to pick at number sixteen but traded that pick along with their third round selection to the New York Islanders in exchange for picks 26, 37, 62, and 92. The Jackets then sent the 26th and 37th picks to Anaheim in order to select Moore at 21.

"We are very excited to add John Moore to the organization," said Gerneal Manager Scott Howson. "He is an outstanding skater that moves the puck well and he will add to the skill level on our back end."

Nash a Major Impact On, Off Ice

2009-06-22T19:47:00.012-04:00

With only one year remaining on his five-year, $27 million dollar contract, the Columbus Blue Jackets will be looking to resign captain and NHL all-star Rick Nash come July 1^st. Nash is the face of the franchise in Columbus and was the primary building block for the current team.

Nash was drafted number one overall back in 2002 when the club decided to trade up to the first spot in order to obtain the Ontario native. He has been reminding Jackets management why they selected him ever since.

Nash has been a star since the moment he put on the Jackets sweater. In his NHL debut on October 10, 2002, Nash scored a goal in a 2-1 win over Chicago and went on to make the NHL All-Rookie team at the conclusion of the '02-'03 season. In only his second year, Nash tied Jerome Iginla and Ilya Kovalchuk for the league lead with 41 goals and, along with the other two, was awarded the Rocket Richard Trophy as the leagues most prolific goal scorer. At a mere 19 years of age, Nash was the youngest player to lead the league in goals.

After scoring what many commentators called “the goal of the year” on January 17, 2008 vs. Phoenix, Nash went on to sore three goals in the 2008 All-Star Game including the fastest goal in all-star history only twelve seconds into play. On March 7^th, 2009, Nash recorded an unassisted hat trick in an 8-2 rout of the Detroit Red Wings in Joe Louis Arena. It was the first time a player recorded three unassisted goals in a single game since Maurice “Rocket” Richard scored 4 back in 1948.

In only six seasons, Nash has scored 194 goals, and recorded 161 assists for a total of 355 points. He is also a four time NHL all-star and was named MVP at the 2007 World Championships with team Canada in Moscow.

Although his impact on the ice is undeniable, his impact off the ice is even greater. At the NHL awards last week, Nash was named 2008-09 NHL Foundation Player of the Year. An award that is presented annually to a player “in recognition of his commitment and service to charities in his community.”

Since his arrival in Columbus, Rick Nash has always been one of the most active Blue Jackets in the community. Nash established the #61 club, which according to bluejackets.com encourages kids to make good choices and develop healthy habits and rewards those that do. “Through the #61 Club Good Health Challenge, he provides more than 30 tickets to every Blue Jackets home game to students who make 61 healthy choices in a month.”

Nash also gave $100,000 to The Ohio State University Athletics Department to finance a student-athlete scholarship and donated $25,000 to the John H. McConnell Scholarship Fund in memory of the Jackets founder.

"Being a professional hockey player is a privilege and I am extremely fortunate, as it has afforded me many opportunities to give back. I am honored to be this year's recipient of the NHL Foundation Player Award and am grateful that this honor will directly benefit the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation, the John H. McConnell Scholarship Fund, Tim Hortons Children's Foundation and the Pelotonia Tour," said Nash.

Nash also donates $15,000 annually to Santa’s Silent Helpers, an organization that provides holiday meals and gifts for 350-400 central Ohio families experiencing financial difficulties. These are just a few of the things Nash has done since becoming a Blue Jacket.

In his honor, the NHL has pledged to donate $25,000 to the charitable organization of Nash’s choice.

Draft Preview

2009-06-20T22:02:00.008-04:00

With the NHL draft less than one week away, I thought it would be a good time to take a look at the likely candidates the CBJ will be looking at drafting.

For the first time in the teams history, the Columbus Blue Jackets will pick out of the top ten at number sixteen. The latest the club had ever previously drafted was eighth in '01 and '04. Here is a look at recent number sixteen picks:

2008: Joe Colborne - BOS

2007: Colton Gillies - MIN

2006: Ty Wishart - SJS

2005: Alex Bourret - ATL

2004: Petteri Nokelainen - NYI

2003: Steve Bernier - SJS

2002: Jakub Klepis - OTT

2001: R.J. Umberger - VAN

2000: Marcel Hossa - MTL

1999: David Tanabe - CAR

1998: Eric Chouinard - MTL

As you can see, the number sixteen pick has not faired well over the past ten years. The only notable name in the group is current Blue Jacket and former Buckeye R.J. Umberger. The Jackets will be looking for better fortune coming out of the spot in 2009.

The Blue Jackets have had a history of using their first round pick to select highly skilled forwards such as Rick Nash, Derrick Brassard, Jakub Voracek, and Nikita Filatov. In fact, each one of their first round picks since 2002 has been a forward. Now that the team is loaded with talented wingers, some expect the club to select a defenseman in the first round.

Possible defenders the team may have interest in include Ryan Ellis, Simon Despres, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and David Rundblad. Here is what SI and had to say about the guys:

Eyan Ellis, D, Windsor Spitfires

Some have concerns about his size (5-10, 175), others his defensive reads. But every team would love to employ Ellis and his offensive savvy on their blueline. He'll be an elite power play quarterback.

Simon Despres, D, Saint John Sea Dogs

The first overall pick in the 2007 QMJHL priority draft, Despres has seen his hype muted while playing behind a stacked blueline in Saint John. That may change as the season wears on. Scouts love his pro size (6-3, 208), skating, responsible defensive play and hints of an emerging offensive game.

David Rundblad, D, Skelleftea (Sweden)

He's struggled with the adjustment to the men's league, but showed enough in juniors to suggest that he'll be a solid top-four option. His appearance at the WJC could have a tremendous impact on his selection.

According to Hockeysfuture.com

Oliver Ekman-Larson, D (Sweden)

A late riser on draft boards, Ekman-Larsson is a dynamic, offensively-minded defenseman. Known as a mobile skater capable of crisp tape-to-tape passes, the 17-year-old also plays with maturity beyond his years.

Another option for the Jackets would be to trade the pick. Some experts predict that the Jackets will try to trade their pick for a later first round pick and an additional second round pick. We saw this two years ago when the jackets traded down to the eighth slot and still were able to get the guy they wanted, Jakub Voracek. If the team thinks they can move down and still get one of the guys they are interested in, don't be surprised to see them do so.

Who Wants It?

2009-06-19T22:35:00.004-04:00

With the influx of injuries the Cincinnati Reds have experienced this season, many of the younger guys have had an opportunity to step up and play a lot of innings and get a lot of at bats. Extended stints on the injured list to names like Joey Votto, Edwin Encarnacion, Alex Gonzalez, and Willy Taveras have allowed guys like Ryan Hanigan, Chris Dickerson, Laynce Nix, Jerry Hairston Jr, and Adam Rosales to show what they can do, and many of them have performed. In fact, some of them have performed so well that manager Dusty Baker is eventually going to have to make a decision on who gets the starts at each position.

With the absence of Joey Votto at first base and the lack of another first baseman on the big league roster, starting catcher Roman Hernandez was forced to move over to first. Subsequently, the move allowed rookie catcher Ryan Hanigan to become the everyday guy behind the plate. Hanigan responded well. Through 39 games, the rookie has compiled a .316 batting average, which leads the league among all rookies, along with one home-run and eight runs batted in. That is compared to Hernandez, who's average currently sits at .246.

When Joey Votto returns later this month and reclaims his spot at first base, Baker will have to make the decision as to who will remain as starting catcher. Baker has proven to be very loyal to the vetern players, so don't expect the young Hanigan to get the nod just because he has the higher average. Instead, expect Baker to run a platoon system behind the plate in which both guys see a good amount of time at the catcher position.

Baker has been running that same platoon system in left since the start of the year with Nix and Dickerson. Both players have been seeing a good amount of playing time with Nix getting the slight edge due to recent success behind the plate. But now that center fielder Willy Taveras is struggling with the bat, could we see Taveras be replaced in center by Dickerson who is playing much better as of late?

And what will happen to Jerry Hairston once Ediwin Encarnacion reenters the lineup? Encarnacion has been on the disabled list with a fractured wrist since late April and is expected to return sometime later this month. In 19 games played this season, Encarnacion batted a mere .127 with one home-run and six runs batted in. Hairston has batted .246 with seven home-runs, nineteen RBI and five stolen bases. Adam Rosales, who was called up from triple-A Louisville earlier this year, has also seen significant time at third base, playing in 38 games and compiling a .216 average. With the return of Encarnacion, Rosales is likely to return to the role of primarily a pinch hitter/runner, but what will happen to Hairston? Will he be pushed out of the regular lineup into a utility man position?

It is anticipated that when all the aforementioned players do return, that for the most part, we will see the big name and big contract players return the their positions in the lineup, and the other guys such as Dickerson and Hairston return to a utilty/pinch hitter role. Although, if they continue to perform, do not be surprised to see the non-regulars on a more regular basis, or to see manager Dusty Baker run a platoon system not unlike what may happen at the catcher position.

But for the most part, we have seen that Dusty Baker is very loyal to the veteran ballplayers. Take for example what happened last year with Corey Paterson. Paterson, who played under Baker in Chicago, struggled all year but Baker continued to pencil his name in on the lineup card each night. I don't expect this year to be any different, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Mason, Nash Honored at NHL Awards

2009-06-18T23:30:00.002-04:00

In his first year in the NHL, Columbus Blue Jackets rookie Steve Mason took the league by storm, and Thursday night in Vegas he was recognized for it. Mason took home the 2009 Calder Memorial Trophy as the league’s top rookie beating out Chicago’s Kris Versteeg and Anehiem’s Bobby Ryan.

In only his first year, the rookie phenom lead the league with ten shutouts, was second in goals against at 2.29, and compiled a team record 33 wins while playing in 61 games.

Mason’s ten shutouts set a team record and were also the most shutouts recorded by a rookie since Chicago’s Tony Esposito posted 15 goose eggs back in 1969-’70. Mason recorded three straight shutouts between December 27^th and the 31^st when he consecutively blanked Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Anaheim respectively. Mason also set a franchise record for consecutive shutout minutes at 199:19.

Mason started the year in the minors with the Syracuse Crunch, but was quickly called up when then starting goaltender Pascal LeClaire and back up Fredrick Norrena both experienced injuries early in the season.

Mason is the first Blue Jacket to ever receive this honor, and joins team captain Rick Nash as the only Jacket to ever receive a post-season award. In 2004, Nash received the Rocket Richard Trophy as the leagues top goal scorer.

Steve Mason was also a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, given to the league’s top goaltender, but was beaten out by deserving Boston goalie Tim Thomas.

Rick Nash joined his fellow Blue Jacket in the award category Thursday night when he was honored as the 2008-2009 recipient of the National Hockey League Foundation Player Award, presented annually to a player "in recognition of his commitment and service to charities in his community,” as per bluejackets.com. In his honor, the NHL will give $25,000 to the charity of Nash’s choice.

Nash beat out Montreal Canadien’s forward Alex Kovalev and Los Angeles Kings forward Dustin Brown for the award. Previous recipients of the award include Trevor Linden, Vincent Lecavalier , Joe Sakic , Marty Turco and Jarome Iginla.

Don't Apologize for the Division

2009-06-17T13:01:00.003-04:00

After being one of the better divisions in baseball a year ago, a year where two of its members qualified for the playoffs, statistically as far as wins, the National League Central is one of the worst divisions in baseball in 2009.

With one hundred games to play, the Reds have compiled a 32-31 record and currently sit 3 games back of division leading Milwaukee. Although sitting a game above .500 at this point in the season is respectable, it would usually not be good enough to keep you within three games of first place. But, for the Reds, it is, and no one's complaining.

The only division currently in worse standing than the NL Central, is the American League Central. The Indians, who stand at a meager 29-38 sit only six and a half games out of first place.

The fact that the Redlegs sit a mere three games out of first gives them a hope the rest of the season. With one of the top pitching staffs in all of baseball, the Reds look like a real playoff contender. The Reds currently have the forth best team ERA in the National League at 3.86 and are only .04 behind the Cubs in that category, the only other NL Central team in the top four.

In the past, while the Reds have been close to the top of the league in terms of batting and home runs, they have struggled as far as pitching. This year, the club has solid pitching, and if they can get the bats working, could be a definite threat in the Central.

The team has been without superstar Joey Votto for a large portion of the year and has also played much of the season without third baseman Edwin Encarnacion and shortstop Alex Gonzalez. The Reds should expect to see a big boost in offense When Votto and Encarnacion return to the lineup.

Also, if the Reds are still in the division and/or wildcard race come July 31st, don't be surprised to see them make a move for that reliable right-handed they were looking for last off-season. Playing a poor division isn't a bad thing, and if the Reds can lose the injury bug, keep pitching well, and get the bats going, it could really pay off come October.

On the Rise

2009-06-16T11:08:00.003-04:00

It's official: the Columbus Crew have turned things around. After the team got off to the worst start of any defending Major League Soccer champion, in which it took them eight games to finally record a win, at last it appears they have turned things around and are again playing at championship level.

The turnaround culminated in the 2-1 victory Sunday night over league leading Chivas USA at Crew Stadium. The club came back from a 1-nil first half deficit behind the strength of reigning MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto's league leading ninth and tenth goals of the season, the game winner coming in the 87th minute of play.

The win extended the Crew's unbeaten streak to nine games at 4-0-5. The win also allowed them to climb to one win, or three points, out of first place in the Eastern Conference. It was the teams third straight win at the friendly confines of Crew Stadium.

The streak has come without Captain Frankie Hejduk who is away with the U.S. national team and starting goalkeeper William Hesmer who is out due to a back injury. "We knew this was the game that was going to stamp our season back, the one that would show everyone our record at the beginning of the season was not who we are." defender Jed Zayner said at the conclusion of Sunday's game.

In other news, the team traded away verstile and talented midfielder/forward Pat Noonan this week to the Colorado Rapids for an undisclosed amount of league allocation money and the Rapid's first round draft pick at the 2010 draft.

Noonan was not seeing much of the field with the Crew as he was stuck behind superstar Guillermo Barros Schelotto, and is likely to see much more playing time with the Rapids. The trade works for both teams. In Noonan, Colorado recieves a talented young forward and for Columbus, they are able to relieve themsleves of Noonan's $175,000 paycheck. This is a good move for the Crew because they were close to surpassing the $2.32 million salary cap.

As per the Columbus Dispatch, "Pat is too good of a player to sit on the bench," Crew coach Robert Warzycha said. "This works on both sides."

Also, Schelotto was named MLS player of the week after recording two goals in the team's win over Chivas USA on Sunday. Schelotto leads the league with ten goals.

Arena Situation

2009-06-15T12:15:00.003-04:00

A little more than one month after the completion of the greatest season in Columbus Blue Jacket history, the team announced that it had lost over $80 million since the 02-03 season. The apparent cause of the losses is the deal that the Blue Jackets Organization has with Nationwide and the arena.

Since the arena is owned privately by Nationwide, rather than a piece of public property, the Jackets have more costs to account for and do not receive some of the same revenue flow as do other teams. As part of the deal to let the team use the arena, Nationwide kept the naming rights without paying for them, receives all parking revenue, and retained a few suits.

Also, the Jackets are required to pay the following to Nationwide: rent, fee for practice facility, fees to maintain facilities, a ticket surcharge to Columbus Schools, as well as a few other secondary fees. These are all extra costs that most teams are not required to pay, and for the Jackets, have led to great losses.

The team, as well as Nationwide, has done a few things to address the problem and some solutions have been proposed. The team has asked the county to consider purchasing the building and suggested that a sin tax be instituted to cover the costs of the arena.

Nationwide has offered to sell the building and relinquish naming rights at significant loss. “We need to do whatever we can to keep this franchise in our city,” said Natiowide CEO Dimon McFerson. “Think of all the jobs that have been created. Think of the economic development. Think of how the face of Downtown has been changed.”

If the sin tax were implemented, Franklin County consumers would pay an extra 2.3 cents per beer, 4.5 cents per pack of cigarettes, 6.5 cents on each bottle of wine, and 60 cents on 5^th of liquor. Beer and cigarette companies immediately began to lobby hard against the deal, and not enough support was seen from county commissioners. Therefore, as of last week, the proposal was seemingly dead.

As of now, it appears that if the team is going to fix this problem, it is going to need the support of the public, and the county. It does not appear they can continue the private deal they currently have with Nationwide.

From 1998 to 2008, John Glenn Affairs did an economic study of the Arena District that showed just how important the district is to Columbus and its economy. According to the study, there were 172 businesses, 7000 employees, 6 housing complexes, and 800 residents in the district as of 2006. The study also recorded $850 million in visitor spending over that span of ten years.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has addressed the problem by saying "As long as (the lease) can be fixed -- and I think it can get fixed -- people should not be concerned," he said. "I was there during the playoffs. I've seen the growth of the Arena District. Nationwide Arena and this club have become an integral and essential part of this community."  

“If we would somehow lose the Blue Jackets, we’d be a lesser city” said former Columbus Mayor Greg Lashutka. The former mayor is not the only one concerned about the situation, County Commissioner John O’Grady had this to say about the problem, “I don’t want to be a county commissioner when that thing closes.”

The team has stated it has not been contacted by Canadian Billionaire Jim Balsillie. Balsillie has attempted to purchase the Penguins, Predators, and Coyotes all within the past three years with plans on moving a team to Southern Ontario. According to Puck-rakers, an attorney that represents Balsillie has stated that he has never had any interest in purchasing the Jackets. “They’re not portable. They’re not moving. The market’s too good.” Said the attorney.

You don’t have to be a hockey fan to see the impact the team has had on this city. “For a place obsesses with college football, Columbus owes much of its revival to pro hockey” wrote Jason Cowen in his May 2008 article, Columbus, Ohio’s happening side. “When Nationwide Arena opened in 2000 people not only came to see the Blue Jackets but they began to spend more and more time and money in the once gritty Short North Area” continued Cowen.

The teams needs public support to resolve this issue, and is urging the public to contact their commissioners about the dilemma asking them to take action and make sure the problem get resolved.

If you would like to contact a Franklin County Commissioner regarding the issue, their contacts are listed below.

Board President Paula Brooks

Commissioner Brooks Contact Information:

RJ Sontag,

Aide to Commissioner Brooks

614.462.5729

rjsontag@franklincountyohio.gov

Commissioner Marilyn Brown

Commissioner Brown's Contact Info:

Laura Stehle,

Aide to Commissioner Brown

614-462-3461

ljstehle@franklincountyohio.gov

Commissioner John O'Grady

Commissioner O'Grady's Contact Information:

Sharon Keels,

Aide to Commissioner O'Grady

614.462.5589

skkeels@franklincountyohio.gov

Trade Talk

2009-06-02T21:41:00.008-04:00

Major League Baseball's trade deadline is July 31st, which for many teams means changes on the roster. For Ohio teams, it could have two distinctly different meanings. For the Reds it may mean acquiring that big bat to that can carry them into the playoffs, for the Indians however, it may mean unloading some salary cap, and looking toward the future.

The Indians have had success in the past dealing away big name pitchers in order to recieve young talent. In 2002, the club traded away Bartolo Colón to the Montreal Expos for 3 young prospects. Those kids go by the name Grady Sizmore, Cliff Lee, and Brandon Phillips and seven years later they have four all-star selections, three gold gloves, one Cy Young, and one Silver Slugger between them...in other words, great trade. Last year it was CC Sabathia, but what big name could we see the Tribe trade away this year? One posibility is the aforementioned Cliff Lee. With Lee's contract expiring after the 2009 season, he is due for a raise, and this seems like it would be the perfect time for him to get dealt if the team is looking to dump off some salary come July. Look for his name to be a big one come July if the Indians do not rejoin the playoff race.

If the Reds are gonna make a move to help them down the stretch, it is likely to come from somewhere on the farm. The club is still missing that right-handed power bat that they tried to acquire over the off-season, and it is unlikely they would trade away any of their pitching to come by the aforementioned bat. If the Reds are still in it come late July, don't be surprised to see them deal away some of the young talent in attempt to find that big bat that could push them into the playoffs down the stretch.

Streaking Reds

2009-06-01T19:02:00.004-04:00

Sweep one series, get swept the next. That is how it has been this season for the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds took three straight games from the Arizona Diamond Backs May 11th through 13th, then proceeded to get swept by the Padres four days later on the 17th. Last week the Reds completed a three game sweep of the Houston Astros in Great American Ballpark on Wednesday only to get swept this past weekend in Milwaukee by the Brewers. How can a team go from playing well enough to sweep a team to playing poor enough to get swept? In the Reds case, it's all about run support. In those six games, three times the club did not manage to score more than 2 runs, and never did they score more than five. In the six games they won, the Reds lit up opponents pitching by scoring an average of nearly eight runs, and only once scored less than six.

For the most part, the pitching has been solid from front to back, starters and relievers, but if the Reds expect to compete for the Central, they will need to see more consistency from their hitters. Some may attribute these cold streaks to the fact that the team has not really had a consistent starting nine from game to game all season. This is in part due to injuries and missed time to such big names as Joey Votto, Edwin Encarnacion, Alex Gonzalez, and Brandon Phillips. Also because we have seen manager Dusty Baker run a platoon in Left Field between Lance Nix, Chris Dickerson and Johnny Gomes. If the team can get healthy, watch for bat production and run support to increase. Until then, the Reds will simply need a solid pitching performance every night to keep them in the game even if the bats are not working that night.

Pushed to the Brink

2009-05-26T23:58:00.003-04:00

For the first time this post-season, the Cleveland Cavaliers face elimination. The Cavs need three wins in a row or their magical season will be over. The good news is they get to go back home where they have only lost three times this entire year.

The Cavs are 2-1 against the Magic this season at home, and 44-3 overall in Quicken Loans Arena. The key to getting back into this series will be to take it one game at a time. They need to concentrate on winning game five and nothing else. This is not a seven game series, rather a one game series that the Cavs must win...three times. That has to be the mentality they take into each remaining game. Only eight teams in NBA history have ever come back from a 3-1 deficit in seven game series such as the one the Cavaliers face.

The reason the Magic have played so well and have claimed this 3-1 advantage has been because of their impeccable three point shooting. In game four, Orlando shot 44 percent from beyond the arc, sinking a playoff team record 17 of 38 treys, 11 of which came after half-time. In the series, Orlando has shot nearly 42 percent from three, making 42 of 98 shots. It was a three point dagger with 4.6 seconds remaining in regulation of game four that would eventually force overtime and lead to the Orlando win. The Magic are shooting 32.5 percent from three overall in the playoffs, and have a much better record when they shot 30 percent or better from behind the arc. If Cleveland is going to shut down this offense, it will have to start with better defense on the perimeter.

It has been 45 years since a Cleveland team won a title in a major sport, and unless LeBron James and the Cavys step up their game and play to the level they are capable of, we might be kept waiting.

The odds are against them, can the come-back kids pull it off again? Game five is Thursday night.

We are all Witnesses

2009-05-23T21:21:00.010-04:00

Scenario: Your team down by two, one second remaining on the clock, who do you want to take the final shot? Everyone in the building last night knew exactly who was gonna take that shot. As Mo Williams said post-game, "Option one was LeBron James, option two was Lebron James, option three was Lebron James...". But still, even without any uncertainty of who was gonna take that shot, James still couldn't be stopped.

This begs the question, how do you stop someone who is unstoppable? We could sit here and pretend to come up with ways to stop LeBron James but none of it would be accurate. The honest truth to that question is you can't. You can't stop him, period. After the game, Magic coach Stan Van Gundy took the blame for the final shot, saying he should have devised a different defensive formation. What Van Gundy failed to realize was that no defensive formation in the world could have stopped him. He could have put all five guys and all his assistant coaches on LeBron and it still wouldn't have made a difference. The only way to even slow him down would be to makes sure he does not have the ball, keep the ball in your team's hands. He is too strong, too fast, and too good, to be stopped any other way.

So who has the momentum heading into game three? On one side, Orlando appears to. They went into Cleveland where only two visiting teams had won the entire year, stole away home court advantage, and were a miracle shot away from sweeping the Cavys out of their own building. On the otherside, the Cavaliers may seem to have the advantage after King James single handedly demoralized the entire city of Orlando. Cleveland has also been very good on the raod all year. Game three will be pivotal in deciding the rest of the series.